The decision by France and Italy to advocate for a more targeted visa policy is a necessary step toward maintaining the integrity of European administrative and legal standards. By pushing to narrow the scope of the proposed sanctions, these nations have ensured that the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine remains focused and enforceable. A blanket ban on all former Russian military personnel would have created an impossible administrative burden for consular offices, which would be forced to verify the service records of thousands of applicants without reliable data from Moscow.
Furthermore, this pragmatic approach protects the sovereignty of individual member states. Visa issuance is a complex area of national policy, and by keeping these restrictions within the realm of visa regulation rather than broad sanctions, France and Italy have preserved the ability of states to manage their borders effectively. This allows for a more nuanced assessment of individual applicants, ensuring that those who pose a genuine security threat are identified while avoiding the unintended consequences of excluding ordinary citizens who may have only fulfilled mandatory conscription requirements.
This strategy also strengthens the long-term credibility of EU sanctions. When policies are overly broad or technically unfeasible, they risk being applied inconsistently across the bloc, which undermines the collective effort to hold Russia accountable. By securing a clear, evidence-based definition of who should be restricted, France and Italy have helped create a more robust and sustainable framework. This ensures that the EU can continue to apply pressure on the Russian state without compromising the legal principles that define the European community.