Europe Russian opposition criticizes EU sanctions
In view of the stricter EU visa rules for Russian citizens, opposition activists who have fled the country are criticizing the sanctions in Europe. "Russia is not just the Kremlin. It's millions of people who want to live in their country," said prominent Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky. "It is better for the West to recognize this difference and maintain the bridges for a future dialogue," the former political prisoner and ex-head of the now defunct oil company Yukos said on Telegram.
07.11.2025, 19:31
SDA
Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin had destroyed relations with the West through his war of aggression against Ukraine, but it was important to maintain contacts between people today, he said. Student and cultural exchange must also continue. "You can't say that all Russians are the same."
The EU had previously announced a tightening of the rules for issuing visas to Russian citizens. As the European Commission announced, Russians - with a few exceptions - will no longer be able to apply for multiple-entry visas in future. In future, most people will have to apply for a new visa for each planned entry.
Also criticism of blocked facilities for simple Russians
The daughter of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered in Moscow in 2015, Shanna Nemtsova, criticized the fact that hundreds of thousands of Russians had their facilities blocked in Europe. These are not civil servants or billionaires, but ordinary investors who are discriminated against simply because they have a Russian passport. She announced that the foundation named after her father was preparing an analysis of this and wanted to campaign for changes.
In the past, the team of Alexei Navalny, an opponent of the Kremlin who died in a prison camp, had also appealed that the West's sanctions should not make the lives of Russians forced into exile or opponents of Putin even more difficult. The Navalny team has repeatedly and successfully campaigned for sanctions against Putin's followers, but warns that blameless Russians should not be punished.
The Russian leadership repeatedly criticizes the sanctions as unlawful. However, the Kremlin also emphasizes that the country has become accustomed to them and will not give in to the pressure.
