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Russians Face European Travel Hurdles as EU Weighs Restrictions

  • Plan falls short of full ban, but raises bureaucratic hurdles
  • EU member states divided over scope of restrictions on visas
A Russian civilian shows their passport in Belgrade, Serbia.

A Russian civilian shows their passport in Belgrade, Serbia.

Photographer: Vladimir Zivojinovic/AFP/Getty Images 

Russians traveling to the European Union will have to pay more and withstand additional bureaucracy to obtain a short-term visa, according to a compromise solution aimed at allaying member states’ differences on how far restrictions should go. 

The Czech government, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, will propose fully suspending visa-facilitation agreements with Russia and Belarus at a meeting of foreign ministers in Prague next week, according to Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.