The European Union has just banned Russians from obtaining multi-entry Schengen visas, billing the move as tightening the screws on the Kremlin. In practice, it does the opposite. Many of Russia’s elites still glide through Europe on “golden passports” and “golden visas,” boarding their private jets without a care in the world. Ordinary Russians, meanwhile, now face soaring costs and tighter restrictions just to visit family, study abroad or take a holiday. This new policy may look tough, but it punches down, not up. Russia’s elite, the very people who fund and benefit from the regime, already hold multiple citizenships and offshore assets to protect themselves. It is teachers, students and pensioners who will be stranded, along with families divided by intermarriage or migration.
Continue Reading on The Moscow Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.