Zakharova stated that the Russian Federation has no intentions of closing borders to EU citizens.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on September 18 that Russia would not restrict the entry of citizens of the European Union (EU) countries and had no plans to close borders to them.

"For our part, we do not plan to close borders for European citizens or restrict their entry by any means, political or [yet] in any way," Zakharova stressed, as quoted by TASS.

She added that Russia is striving to strengthen ties between people, despite the EU's efforts to destroy these "bridges." The diplomat also criticized the ideas within the European Union about the introduction of visa restrictions, calling them an example of hypocrisy.

Path denied: EU considers introducing quotas on visas for Russians

In which countries will it become more difficult for Russian citizens to obtain entry permits

On September 14, Germany complicated the criteria for issuing both Schengen and national visas to Russian citizens as part of the new, 19th package of anti-Russian sanctions. It clarifies that Russian applicants who do not have compelling reasons to travel should be prepared for longer and more thorough application review procedures.

On September 15, it was reported that some EU countries advocate a complete ban on Russian tourists entering the bloc. At the same time, countries counting on the influx of Russian tourists during the holiday season, including Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain and France, are "relatively liberal in issuing visas."

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