Key Takeaways:
- Russia is preparing a "measured response" to the EU's ban on multiple-entry Schengen visas for Russian citizens.
- Moscow continues to unilaterally apply a more generous visa regime for EU citizens, including five-year multi-entry visas.
- Lavrov outlined Russia's core demands for peace in Ukraine, including legally binding security guarantees and Ukraine's neutral status.
- Diplomatic relations with the US are described as a difficult, ongoing process focused on practical issues.
Russia's Stance on the EU Visa Ban
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Moscow is formulating a "measured response" to the European Union's decision to effectively ban multiple-entry Schengen visas for Russian citizens. He described the move as the latest in a series of "unfriendly steps" from Brussels.
Lavrov emphasized that any Russian countermeasures would be announced in due course and crafted in line with national interests. For now, the status quo for EU travelers to Russia remains favorable.
"Citizens of EU countries continue to benefit from the provisions of the 2006 bilateral visa facilitation agreement with Russia, which specifically provides for the issuance of multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years."
Remarkably, Russia continues to apply this procedure unilaterally, despite the EU's termination of the agreement in 2022. Furthermore, Lavrov noted that citizens of all EU member states can travel to Russia using a simplified unified electronic visa, obtainable an unlimited number of times.
This creates a stark asymmetry: while Russians face severe restrictions for entering the Schengen Area, EU citizens retain relatively easy access to Russia.
The Core Demands for Ukraine Peace
Beyond the visa issue, Lavrov's interview provided a detailed outline of Moscow's non-negotiable conditions for ending the conflict in Ukraine. He stated that while elections in Ukraine are necessary to confer a mandate for peace talks, they are not the ultimate goal.
The true priority, according to Lavrov, is establishing legally binding guarantees that address the conflict's root causes. He presented a comprehensive list of Russian demands:
- Enshrining Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free status.
- Achieving the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine.
- Halting NATO countries' military development on Ukrainian territory.
- Guaranteeing the rights of native Russians and Russian-speaking citizens.
- Ceasing the persecution of canonical Orthodoxy.
- Recognition by Kiev and the West of the "new territorial realities"—meaning Russia's annexation of Crimea and four other Ukrainian regions.
Lavrov argued that a viable system of European security must be rebuilt, suggesting Russia's draft treaties from December 2021 as a basis. Any new framework, he insisted, must be founded on the principle of the indivisibility of security.
Relations with the US and Strategic Stability
The Foreign Minister also addressed the state of Russia-US relations, which he characterized as a steady but difficult process of normalization begun after Donald Trump's return to the White House. Progress has been incremental, focusing on restoring diplomatic mission operations.
Significant hurdles remain, including resuming direct flights and recovering seized diplomatic property. Lavrov accused the US State Department of linking these practical matters to unrelated political topics, slowing progress.
On strategic stability, Lavrov addressed the impending expiration of the New START Treaty in February 2026. He indicated that Moscow is awaiting a US response to President Putin's initiative to maintain the treaty's nuclear limits as voluntary measures. The world, he suggested, is watching Washington's next move closely.
Implications for European Travel and Security
For travelers and expats, Lavrov's comments highlight the deepening divide between Russia and the EU, with visa policies becoming a key tool of political friction. The promised Russian response could further complicate travel for EU citizens, potentially ending the current unilateral visa facilitation.
More broadly, the interview underscores Moscow's unwavering position on Ukraine. The demands presented are extensive and would fundamentally alter Ukraine's sovereignty and Europe's security architecture. With Lavrov stating that Russia's military goals will be achieved "preferably through talks but, if necessary, using military means," the path to a resolution remains fraught with difficulty.
The coming months will reveal both the shape of Russia's "measured response" on visas and whether diplomatic channels can bridge the vast gap between these stated positions and those of Ukraine and its Western allies.