Russia on Monday, the 11th of September, criticised the European Union’s (EU) ban on Russians bringing cars and certain personal items into the EU, calling it discriminatory, reports Reuters.
The European Commission, in an explanatory note on sanctions related to the war in Ukraine, outlined a temporary ban on Russians from importing certain personal goods or vehicles into any of the 27 EU countries.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticised the European Commission’s ban,
calling it racist.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed his anger, saying that the EU has insulted all Russians by treating them badly, implying that they are like “half-animals with bad heredity”. Medvedev has suggested temporarily suspending diplomatic relations with the EU, but has stressed that Russia will not impose restrictions on EU citizens,
claiming that Russia is not racist.
Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the West imposed sanctions on Russia. Russia considers these sanctions and the confiscation of its assets to be a declaration of economic war. Despite the pressure, the Kremlin remains firm, claiming that Russia, which is forecast to grow economically this year,
will not give in to Western demands on Ukraine.
In a Q&A explanatory note, the European Commission clarified that Russian citizens are temporarily banned from bringing certain personal goods and vehicles, including motor vehicles, into the EU. The Commission indicated that this ban applies to goods originating in or exported from Russia. However, the implementation of the ban should not apply to clothing worn by persons crossing the border which is perceived differently from luxury cars.
Some Russians argue that such measures may accidentally play into the Kremlin’s hands, while the Kremlin claims that Russians in the West face unfair Russophobia.
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