Russia warns its own citizens against traveling to the West – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

The relationship between Russia and the West has cooled significantly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the OSCE meeting in Malta. Sergej Lavrov during the OSCE meeting in Malta last week. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI / Reuters/NTB It was the first time he attended an EU summit after the invasion. He received anything but a warm welcome. He was blamed for war crimes and called a liar. Several countries left the meeting in protest when Lavrov gave his speech. Warnings against travel On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that relations with the United States and other Western countries were deteriorating, reports Reuters. – Due to increased tension between Russia and the USA, all trips to the USA will be associated with serious risks, said Maria Zakharova, who is a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also advised Russians against traveling to Canada and several countries in the EU because they risk being “hunted down” by American authorities. The icy relationship between Russia and the West reached a new low point in November when Ukraine used American and British missiles to attack its territory, at the same time as Russia changed its nuclear weapons plan. – A theoretical problem Researcher Jakub M. Godzimirski at NUPI is not surprised by the warning. He believes this is an example of a Russia moving in a more authoritarian direction. – Russia is not interested in citizens having direct contact with the West. Then they can be infected by liberal ideas, and be influenced. Researcher Jakub M. Godzimirski at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (NUPI). Photo: Christopher Olssøn / NUPI At the same time, this is largely a theoretical problem, he believes. – Western countries have strict restrictions on travel from Russia. There are no direct flights between Russia and Western countries, and Western embassies are very reluctant to grant visas to Schengen. Then one must have particularly good reasons for travelling. Will take time to normalize Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that he believed that peace talks in Ukraine could begin during the winter. But even if the war were to end, it will take a long time before relations between Russia and the West can normalize. With thousands of civilian and military lives lost, and steep diplomatic fronts, the war has created a deep wound that will take time to heal, believes Godzimirski – Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, and several hundred thousand have been injured and maimed in the war. It will take a long time before this conflict becomes history. Published 11.12.2024, at 16.24



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