Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Russian combatants who participated in the aggression against Ukraine should be banned from entering Europe and the transatlantic space. The head of the relevant ministry said these words during his speech at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum for ADF Talks, UNN reports.
Details
Sybiha is convinced that such restrictions should apply not only to the war participants themselves, but also to their family members, as well as individuals involved in war crimes.
Context
Sybiha voiced his position on Russian combatants after the G7 foreign ministers' summit, which took place on March 26-27 in France. At that time, the Foreign Minister emphasized that it was not only about the European Union states, but also about the broader Western space, including Japan, Canada, and Australia.
According to the minister, Ukraine considers it unacceptable for Russian citizens who participated in the war against Ukraine to travel freely in democratic countries after returning from the front. Kyiv insists that participation in armed aggression should have not only political and legal, but also personal consequences.
This initiative is not new to Ukrainian diplomacy. As early as February 9, Andriy Sybiha advocated a complete ban on entry to the EU for Russian citizens involved in aggression against Ukraine.
Subsequently, on March 15, the President's Office reported that Ukraine had provided the European Union with data on almost 130 Russian commanders considered involved in crimes against Ukrainians, as well as information on approximately 300 members of their families.
Armed aggression and restrictions on movement: Estonia's experience
At the same time, the Ukrainian side refers to the experience of Estonia, which has already begun to apply such restrictions in practice. In January, the Estonian authorities introduced an indefinite entry ban for the first 261 Russian combatants who participated in the war against Ukraine. Later, on February 6, this list was expanded by another 1073 people.
Estonia explained this decision by security considerations. They believe that former Russian military personnel may pose a risk to European countries due to their combat experience, ties with security forces, and possible involvement in hybrid operations, sabotage, or criminal activities.
At the end of January, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called for extending this approach to the entire European Union. The idea was also supported by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, who stated that this topic has support among a number of member states and needs further discussion.
What the European community says
On February 24, 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU and member states to ban Russian military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine from entering the Schengen area. At the same time, such a resolution does not mean the automatic introduction of a single mechanism at the level of the entire European Union, but is a political signal of support for the relevant initiative.
As of now, there is no single binding decision for all EU, G7, or the entire transatlantic space regarding a complete entry ban for Russian combatants. Currently, it is about the Ukrainian initiative, support from individual European states, and the gradual promotion of this idea at the international level.