Will there be a visa-free regime? Visa-free regime for Ukraine with the European Union - rules for entry into the EU, visa-free countries

The long-awaited visa-free regime for Ukrainians has become a reality: on April 6, 2017, the European Parliament voted to abolish visa regime for Ukraine, and on May 11, 2017, the Council of Europe adopted final decision on granting Ukrainians the right to visit the European Union and the Schengen area without visas. The agreement on a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the European Union (EU) was signed in Strasbourg on May 17, 2017. The decision to introduce a visa-free regime must be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and 20 days after publication, the visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU will enter into force. legal force. It is expected that Ukrainians will be able to travel to Europe without visas from June 11, 2017.

This article will talk about how the visa-free regime with the European Union will be applied in practice, how the procedure for entering the Schengen countries will take place, how long you can stay in the EU countries, what documents are required to travel to the EU, as well as for what reasons may be denied to cross the border of the European Union.

Which European Union countries do Ukrainians not need a visa for?

Visa-free regime with the European Union gives Ukrainians the right to move freely across the territory of 30 states. In particular, the list of countries with which Ukraine has a visa-free regime is as follows:

• 22 member countries of the European Union (excluding the UK and Ireland): Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia;
• 4 Schengen countries outside the EU (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein);
• 4 candidate countries for accession to Schengen (Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia).

To visit Great Britain, which initiated the process of leaving the European Union, but is still part of it, and Ireland will have to apply for visas, since they have their own migration policy.

How long can you stay in the EU without a visa?

The visa-free regime gives the right to a short-term stay in EU member states (with the exception of Great Britain and Ireland) and other Schengen member states for up to 90 days within 180 days, while:

• the date of entry is considered the first day of your stay in the territory (i.e. even if you entered, for example, on July 1 at 23:57, July 2 will be the second day of your stay in the EU);
• the date of departure is considered to be the last day of stay in the Schengen zone;
• The 180-day control period is not fixed and depends on the date of entry and exit from the EU;
• Absence from the Schengen area for a continuous 90-day period entitles you to a new visa-free stay in the EU for up to 90 days.

It should be noted that periods of previous stay allowed under a residence permit or long-term visa type "C" and "D" are not taken into account when calculating the period visa-free stay.

The visa-free regime is ideal for implementing tourist trips, visits to cultural and sporting events, visits to relatives, passing medical examination and treatment, participation in seminars and trainings, etc.

Despite the fact that the visa-free regime for Ukrainians implies permission to enter 4 EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Croatia), the period of stay in these states will not be taken into account when calculating the 90-day period. This is due to the fact that these countries are not included in the Schengen zone and the 90/180 rule works for each state individually. You can stay 90 days in Croatia, 90 days in Cyprus, then 90 days in Bulgaria, from there go to the Schengen area for 90 days - and this will not be a violation, since only “Schengen” trips will be taken into account.

At the same time, in accordance with the rules of stay in the EU, the period of stay in the territory of Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway (these states do not belong to the European Union, but are included in Schengen) is taken into account when determining the total number of days of stay in the EU.

One more important point is that the visa-free regime does not give the right to reside, work and study in Europe. For these purposes, as before, it is necessary to obtain an appropriate visa - work, business, student, or residence permit.

What documents are needed for a visa-free trip to Europe?

In accordance with the Schengen Border Code, the only mandatory document for visa-free visit countries of the European Union is biometric passport.

However, this does not mean at all that European border guards will not ask about the purpose of your trip and will not require additional documents from you, namely: proof of availability financial resources, necessary for your stay in the EU - in addition to cash, this can be, international payment systems, declaration of sponsorship (when someone, in accordance with the law, confirms their intention to finance your trip) or letters of guarantee from the receiving party (for example, about the provision or payment of housing). The amount required for accommodation during the trip varies in different countries. It is determined depending on the average prices for cheap housing and food.

Other documents vary for different travel purposes.

For business trips or business trips this is:

• an invitation to an event you are going to attend;
• any other document confirming the existence of a business or trade relationship;
• ticket to an event if the purpose of the trip is to attend it.

For business trips return ticket not included in the list mandatory documents, which need to be shown to the border guard, since the duration of such a visit may be delayed. But you may have to explain this to the border guard.

If the trip is private or its purpose is tourism, the border guard may ask to see:

• booking accommodation or invitation is not official, but free form if, for example, you are going to stay with friends;
• return ticket (if you are traveling by car, it is not needed);
• for those traveling by car - the route or plan of your trip (indicating dates, cities visited and booked hotels for each night of stay);
• also for traveling by car you need a “policy” civil liability" (so-called " green map"), which, as a rule, can be issued at the border, but it is better to purchase it in advance.

Generally, border rules after the start of the visa-free regime for Ukraine, they remain the same. There will be savings in money and time due to the absence of the need to obtain a Schengen visa, but in terms of documentation, little will change. As mentioned earlier, border guards are almost always interested in the purpose of the visit and, at the slightest suspicion about you, ask to show the relevant paper or electronic documents.

Minimum required amount for stay in Schengen countries

On this moment not in Schengen countries common standards relatively minimal the required amount to stay in a particular country. Therefore, when going on a trip, you must take into account the following solvency requirements:

• Belgium - 45 euros per day - foreigners staying with private individuals; 95 euros - foreigners staying at the hotel;
• Liechtenstein - 91 euros per day, 27 euros for students;
• Switzerland - 91 euros per day, 27 euros for students;
• Estonia - 86 euros per day;
• Spain - 71 euros per day;
• Slovenia - 70 euros, 35 euros for minors accompanied by parents;
• Slovakia - 56 euros per day;
• Norway - 500 NOK, i.e. 54 euros;
• Italy - 269.60 euros per person for up to 5 days, less for groups of tourists;
• Greece - 50 euros per day, minimum 300 euros for 5 days;
• Malta - 48 euros per day;
• Sweden - 47 euros per day;
• Germany - 45 euros per day;
• Lithuania - 40 euros per day;
• Portugal - you need to have an amount of 75 euros with you, as well as an amount based on 40 euros per day of stay;
• Czech Republic - 40 euros per day up to 30 days;
• Netherlands - 34 euros;
• France - 32.50 euros - persons with proof of housing; 120 euros - persons who cannot confirm the availability of housing;
• Finland - 30 euros per day;
• Poland – 300 zlotys (68 euros) for stays up to three days, 100 PLN (23 EUR) per day if stay more than 3 days;
• Latvia - 14 euros per day;
• Hungary - 3 euros;
• Austria - on an individual basis;
• Luxembourg - minimum amount funds are determined individually.

Visa-free regime for children: rules for traveling in Europe

In accordance with the rules of the visa-free regime with the EU, every traveler, regardless of age, must have his own personal biometric international passport. Thus, in order to take advantage of the visa-free regime, each child must first obtain a biometric passport.

With a visa-free regime, children will not be able to enter the EU countries using their parents’ passports. Moreover, from April 1, 2018, the Ukrainian Border Service will no longer allow children to travel abroad using their parent’s international passport, even to neighboring countries. visa-free countries.

Children over 16 years of age have the right to travel around Europe without a visa on their own, just like adults. Until the age of sixteen, a child’s travel abroad, both under visa and visa-free regimes, is accompanied by:

• both parents of the child;
• one parent - with written notarial consent second;
• proxies - by proxy from the father and mother.

In what cases is it not necessary to obtain permission from the father (mother) to take a child abroad?

The consent of the second parent to take children outside of Ukraine is not required if:

• the second parent has died or is declared missing;
• the father (mother) is a foreigner or a stateless person (which is confirmed by the entry about the father (mother) in the child’s birth certificate);
• the second parent is deprived parental rights or declared incompetent;
• in the child’s birth certificate, the entry about the father is made according to the mother’s words;
• there is a court decision to grant permission to remove the child from Ukraine;
• the child travels for permanent residence to another state (if there is an appropriate mark).

Thus, executive border service does not require the notarized consent of the other parent who is not accompanying the child, if the originals are available:

• death certificates;
• court decisions on deprivation of parental rights;
• court decisions declaring a person missing;
• a court decision declaring a person incompetent;
• certificates from the registration department civil status(Registration Office) that information about the father was recorded at the request of the mother in accordance with part one of Article 135 Family Code Ukraine (when a child travels abroad accompanied by a single mother);
• a court decision on permission to leave Ukraine for a citizen who has not reached the age of 16, unaccompanied by a second parent.

All specified documents, after completion of the verification and appropriate execution, must be returned to the bearer.

Features of visa-free travel to the EU by car

A trip to Europe by car from Ukraine has long been no longer something extraordinary, and the abolition of the visa regime with EU countries will only increase the popularity of road travel. Planning trip abroad by car, the motorist should remember that in order to safely cross the border of Ukraine with the EU, a number of procedures must be followed and certain conditions must be met.

What are the requirements for a car to travel to Europe?

One of the main requirements when entering the countries of the European Union is the technical condition of the car. Therefore, when planning to travel to Europe by car, you should prepare in advance vehicle: fix all problems, check the condition of tires, seat belts, exhaust system, windows, mirrors and headlights.

What should not happen:

1. cracks on the glass (small chips are allowed on the windshield, but there should not be large cracks, especially in the area of ​​the wipers);
2. mechanical damage to the body;
3. tinted windows (in some cases, factory tinting is allowed if there is a corresponding mark in the vehicle registration certificate);
4. "radar detector".

In addition, do not forget about the mandatory emergency kit, since the absence of one of the components may result in a significant fine.

To travel within the EU, your car must have:

1. “fresh” fire extinguisher and first aid kit (must have been purchased no more than six months ago);
2. inflated spare tire;
3. jack;
4. tow rope and warning sign;
5. vest with reflective inserts;
6. a set of spare bulbs for headlights and lanterns;
7. state identification mark - UA (standard size).

It is extremely important that the tires correspond to the season - European border guards pay close attention to this. Tires must be identical, with a residual tread depth of at least 4 mm. IN winter time The use of studded tires is only permitted in Finland. In other EU countries it is prohibited! In the mountains of Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy and Switzerland, the use of snow chains is recommended. The rest of the time - tires according to the season. In case of discrepancy, customs officers may stop your trip right at the border. There are quite a lot of similar nuances, so read in advance the requirements of the Schengen countries you plan to visit.

If you are driving a car under a power of attorney, it is advisable to have it officially translated into English.

Small children can only be transported in a car seat that matches the age (height) of the child.

If the car was purchased on credit, it is advisable to obtain official permission from a financial institution to travel outside the country, as well as carry out its official translation into English.

Why can they refuse entry?

Border services may refuse entry into the territory of the relevant country if a citizen of Ukraine is unable to provide information about the purpose of entry, lack of financial resources, or if such a person is on the list of persons previously prohibited from entering.

The experience of introducing a visa-free regime with Georgia and Moldova has shown that due to improper execution visa-free regime conditions individual citizens There have been a number of cases of refusal of entry at the border.

If there are no documents, properly confirming the purpose of the trip, border services may require additional documents. That is why it is recommended that citizens of Ukraine take care of documents that will confirm the purpose of the trip.

Entry may also be denied:

• persons who have been found guilty of committing a crime in the EU and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of at least one year;
• persons in relation to whom there is reason to believe that they have committed a serious criminal offense or have the intention to commit it in the EU;
• persons who have been expelled from the EU;
• persons who have been refused entry or prohibited from residing in EU Member States due to non-compliance national rules entry or residence, etc.

The above persons can be included in the Schengen information system as persons refused entry. At the same time, not in all cases of refusal of entry and deportation from the EU a person is included in this system.

Ukraine and the EU signed the necessary legislative acts to introduce a visa-free regime. The agreement is expected to enter into force in early June.

Photo: Valentin Ogirenko / Reuters

On Wednesday, May 17, in Strasbourg, France, the leadership of Ukraine and the EU signed a document introducing a visa-free regime for the entry of Ukrainians into Europe. After many years of negotiations, all legal formalities have been resolved, and a visa-free regime for Ukraine is now only a matter of time. The document will come into force 20 days after its publication in Official Journal EU, approximately in early June.

The ceremonial signing of the act took place during the working visit of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to the European Parliament. The ceremony was also attended by the new Speaker of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Malta currently presiding over the EU Carmelo Abela and the European Parliament rapporteur on the visa-free regime Maria Gabriel.

Thus, Ukraine becomes the third of the six Eastern Partnership countries to achieve a visa-free regime with the EU, after Moldova and Georgia. A visa-free regime for holders of biometric passports has been operating between Moldova and the EU since April 2014, and between Georgia and the EU since March 2017.

During the first year of the visa-free regime between the EU and Moldova - from April 2014 to April 2015 - 460 thousand Moldovans out of 3.5 million citizens of the country traveled to Europe, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry previously reported. The National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova noted that for the entire 2015, 5.6 million cases of Moldovan tourists traveling abroad were recorded, which is 10% higher than the year before.

In Georgia, during the first month of the visa-free regime - from March 28 to April 27 - 11.7 thousand of the country's 3.7 million citizens made visa-free trips to the EU. At the start of the visa-free regime in Georgia, there was an extremely high level of refusals of Schengen visas - more than 12% in 2016.

How to use a biometric passport required condition greatly reduces the share of those Ukrainians who will be able to take advantage of the new rights. As of May 11, 2017, about 3.3 million citizens of Ukraine received biometric passports for traveling abroad, while last month- about 100 thousand people. This is about 8% of the country's total population.

The introduction of a visa-free regime gives Ukrainians the right to move freely across the territory of 30 states. These are 22 EU and Schengen countries, four non-EU Schengen countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), and four non-Schengen EU countries (Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia). The only exceptions are Great Britain and Ireland, which have the right not to join Schengen as members of the European Union.

The visa-free regime will give Ukrainian citizens the right to stay for a period of 90 days during each 180-day period. If for some reason you need to stay abroad for a longer period, you will have to apply for a visa. It's about specifically about stay: the document does not give rights to residence, employment or study in the EU.

Achieving a visa-free regime with Europe is positive news for Ukraine, however, it is premature to say that this step predetermines the country’s further European integration, a Ukrainian expert on international and legal issues Andrey Buzarov.

“Many Ukrainian parties are actively playing on the topic of European integration, and Ukrainians have the erroneous opinion that the abolition of visas is a step into the European Union,” Buzarov told RBC. “But a visa-free regime and integration are completely different things from a legal and political point of view.” In addition, the expert notes, Kyiv does not yet have a program for joining the EU, and the Association Agreement (not yet fully ratified by the Netherlands) means only political and economic rapprochement, but not an infusion.

Ukraine's movement towards free borders with the EU lasted more than six years. For the first time at the official level, an action plan for a visa-free regime was agreed upon at the Ukraine-EU summit in November 2010. Over the course of several years, this plan was finalized and modified; again, they began to talk about providing a visa-free regime after the signing of the political part of the Association Agreement in March 2014 by the new authorities in Kyiv.

In December 2015, the European Commission recognized that Ukraine had fulfilled all the basic conditions for the introduction of a visa-free regime. But already in April 2016, in a consultative referendum in the Netherlands, 61% of the Dutch ratified the Association Agreement. Although Ukrainian and European diplomats say that negotiations on the abolition of visas and on association with the EU are different processes, the discussion of a visa-free regime was suspended for some time.

It was only in December 2016 that the European Parliament agreed on the rules for the emergency suspension of the visa-free regime for third-country citizens, given the concerns of the Dutch. The mechanism can be used in four cases: an increase in the number of refusals to citizens of these countries to enter the European Union; growth in number unfounded applications for refugee status; refusal of the authorities of “third countries” to cooperate in matters of repatriation; risks for internal security EU related to citizens of these countries.

As a result, after several months of discussion, representatives of the European Parliament and the European Council on February 28, 2017 decided to abolish visas for Ukrainians, on April 6 the European Parliament made this decision, and on May 11 the Council of Ministers of the EU voted for visa liberalization with Ukraine.

In 2019, the European Union decided to abolish the visa regime with Ukraine for short-term trips not exceeding 90 days. One of the conditions for crossing the border with the EU in a visa-free regime is the presence of a valid one. In this regard, the country's migration services formed hours-long queues for biometric passports.

A visa-free regime has been introduced only for Ukrainians traveling to Europe for tourism or guest purposes for a period not exceeding 90 days in one half-year. In this case, at border control you will need to present:

• Valid biometric passport with embedded microchip.
• Hotel reservation or invitation from the host.
• Confirmation of the availability of the necessary funds for the entire duration of the intended trip at the rate of approximately 65 euros per day of stay per person. It can be a bank statement, a bank card, cash cash, travel checks. By the way, regarding bank card– a border guard may require confirmation of the presence of necessary funds, therefore, to avoid problems, it is better to make an extract from it in advance.
• Medical insurance for the entire duration of the trip.
• Return ticket.

If you are planning to travel to Europe for work purposes, you will still need to obtain entry visa. The same applies to holders of old-style international passports.

Visa-free travel for Ukrainians became possible in total to 30 states, including:

• 22 countries participating in the Schengen agreement, included in European Union(except Ireland and Great Britain): Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia.
• 4 Schengen countries that are not members of the EU: Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland.
• 4 countries that apply to join the Schengen zone: Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Cyprus.

What is a biometric passport

The main difference between a biometric passport and a previous generation passport is the presence of a built-in microchip, which contains the owner’s identification data: full name, year of birth, fingerprints, photograph.
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A foreign passport with a built-in chip has a high level of security, which eliminates the possibility of another person traveling with it in case of theft or loss. It has a 10-year validity period and makes the process of personal identification when crossing the border as fast as possible. And most importantly, its presence is the main condition for traveling to European countries without a visa.

When will the problem with queues when obtaining a biometric passport be resolved?

The introduction of a visa-free regime for traveling to Europe at the very beginning of the summer holiday season caused a real stir, and thousands of Ukrainian citizens rushed to the migration services to apply for a new type of international passport. This led to the formation of a queue for biometric passports. People have to occupy it almost from 4 in the morning, and the waiting process lasts several hours.

The State Migration Service of Ukraine issued a statement that the long queues are also associated with the high tourist season. In connection with this, they asked people who do not have emergency apply for it now, wait until the end of August 2017. According to them, at the end of summer the queues will be significantly reduced, and it will be possible to apply for it faster without long waits.

In addition, an electronic ticket, which can be obtained on the Internet, will help you avoid queues.

How to get an electronic ticket

You can receive an electronic coupon on the official website of the Migration Service of Ukraine. To do this, you will need to register on it. After the registration process, you need to select a city and the nearest branch that is convenient to go to.

You can then select the date on the screen and convenient time. It is quite difficult to obtain such a coupon due to large number interested, but it's worth a try. This must be done at 12 o'clock at night, when the database is updated.

After receiving the coupon, you need to print it out. Then come to the department migration service 10-15 minutes before the appointed time. The coupon gives the right to submit documents out of turn. possible online.

Visa restrictions are an atavism that interferes with normal interaction between countries. “Even before the start of the sanctions war between the EU and Russia, I supported the complete abolition of visas for Russians,” the politician said.

According to him, the reluctance of Czech missions to give Schengen visas to Russian citizens long term explained by remnants of the past. “20 years ago we were very afraid of the Russian, but mainly the Ukrainian mafia. Killers from these countries killed entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic for money. We then naively believed that the visa regime would protect us from this problem,” explained the Czech leader.

According to him, today such a problem no longer exists in Czech society, although this had nothing to do with visa restrictions. However, visas continue to significantly limit the influx of tourists and students from Russia.

“That is, visas interfere with the exchange of tourists and students, as well as business trips, and do not protect against criminals. Therefore, I fully support the abolition of any obstacles to tourist travel,” he concluded.

Russian tourists willingly visit the Czech Republic, while Prague does not issue Russians long term visas unlike Spain, Italy, France, Slovakia, Greece and Finland.

The President of the Czech Republic is considered a pro-Russian politician in the West. He repeatedly allowed himself to disagree with the United States and leading EU countries. Zeman initially refused unconditional support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, calling the events in Ukraine “ civil war“, advocated for curtailing the sanctions policy and adheres to a pro-Russian position on many issues.

Because he has his own view of Russia and Ukraine, independent of the United States and the EU, the Czech leader is regularly criticized both within the country and abroad; the opposition accuses him of turning into a “ watchdog» Vladimir Putin.

In addition, Zeman is one of the main critics migration policy Brussels, believing that Europe does not need migrants. Speaking on September 30 at the opening of the 14th session of the World Public Forum “Dialogue of Civilizations,” he also stated that it is necessary to act more radically against representatives of ISIS* in Iraq, Syria, as well as in other states, while he noted the enormous role of Russia in fight against international terrorism.

“There are plenty of politicians like Zeman in Europe,” explains Senior Lecturer at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies and foreign policy RSUH Vadim Trukhachev.

— They exist both in former socialist countries and in Western Europe. His presidential predecessor has repeatedly spoken out for the abolition of visas. Vaclav Klaus. The prime ministers of Hungary and Slovakia spoke about the same thing Victor Orban And Robert Fico. They say the same thing in Italy, Spain, and Greece. There are supporters of this point of view in Germany and France. Even politicians such as the President of the EU once advocated for the abolition of visas or at least for easing the visa regime Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when they were prime ministers of Poland and Norway, respectively. This is advocated by the far left and the far right in almost all European countries. Another thing is that there is another, completely opposite point of view, and its adherents are in almost all EU countries - including the Czech Republic.

"SP":— Is the reluctance of Czech missions to give long-term visas to Russian citizens really explained by relics of the past? Or is it clean here? political reason?

— In their visa policy, Czech consulates look at the practices of their neighbors - Germany and Austria. The Czechs, of course, give visas much more readily than them, but they issue multiple-entry visas infrequently, for fear of incurring the displeasure of the Germans and Austrians. At the same time, there is also a political component. Consulate employees studied in the 90s, and at that time the prevailing opinion in the Czech Republic was that it was necessary to break with Russia once and for all. It is quite difficult to change older people who had something drilled into their heads in their youth. Plus, among Czech diplomats there are many who studied in American and German programs with American and German money, where they were afraid of Russia. Remnants of the past also take place, but their role in the Czech Republic is much lower than in Poland. To a greater extent, Czechs do not want to listen to complaints from Germans and Austrians that Czech consulates give visas to just anyone, and then these “just anyone” go to Vienna and Munich and behave badly there.

"SP":— Russia has been negotiating with Brussels on a visa-free regime for many years. Why did they ultimately fail?

— Negotiations on the abolition of visas failed back in 2011 - long before Maidan and even before Bolotnaya and Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin. The fact is that among European officials there really is a fear of Russians. They think that if visas are abolished, half of Russia will move to Europe or go there to earn money. Their knowledge of Russia is deep and filled with mythology and stereotypes. Nevertheless, this does happen. Germany, Austria, Holland, Denmark and Sweden are especially reluctant to give us visas. In addition, the visa regime is a means of showing that the European Union is dissatisfied with Russia’s policies, and that Russia with its policies is unworthy of having such a privilege as the right visa-free entry to Europe.

There are, however, other reasons. For example, consulate employees do not want to lose such a “feeding trough” as visa processing. If they are abolished, of course, the EU will benefit financially, but how many officials will still have to be fired... There are concerns organized crime- especially with North Caucasus. There is a fear that crowds of refugees from Russia will enter Europe under the guise of Russian citizens. Central Asia. But if you consider that the EU does not have visas with such crime-producing countries as Albania and Colombia, talk about crime looks simply ridiculous

"SP":— How important is a visa-free regime with Europe in general for Moscow?

— For us, this regime is fundamentally important. It will make it much easier for residents to move around Kaliningrad region. Already millions of Russian citizens have relatives, acquaintances and friends in the European Union. Especially here we are talking about the Baltic countries, but not only... In addition, free movement It will allow you to get to know Europe better, see its true advantages and disadvantages, and get rid of a number of stereotypes that exist in our country. This will facilitate cultural, scientific, sports, entrepreneurial - and simply human interaction. Whatever you say, we have enough connections with Europe, and in many areas it can be useful to us. But if we are talking about the loss of sovereignty for the sake of visa-free travel- Russia, of course, should not agree to this.

"SP":— Is it ever possible in the foreseeable future to resume these negotiations? Is it even possible to return our relations with Europe to pre-crisis levels or even improve them?

— Returning relations to pre-crisis levels is possible, but this will require certain time. The resumption of negotiations on a visa-free regime is all the more possible - but here it is important that, following Zeman, the leaders of 10-15 countries unanimously express the same desire. Europe itself will also benefit from a visa-free regime. She will receive millions of generous Russians who are ready to part with their money. In addition, European politicians themselves complain about anti-Western propaganda in Russia, but they themselves close the way to themselves for Russian citizens. And many of them are simply unable to see for themselves that not all Europeans are inveterate Russophobes. So, in terms of improving its own image in the eyes of Russian residents, the European Union is losing a lot from this visa regime. Both materially and morally.

"SP":— How much can politicians like Zeman contribute to this? Why are they interested in cooperation with Russia?

— Zeman is an economist, and a good economist. When he was prime minister of the Czech Republic in 1998, the country quite painlessly survived the crisis from which Russia slid into default. He is devoid of ideological bias, but thinks in terms of pragmatism. As an economist, he sees that the flow of tourists from Russia to the Czech Republic is last years dropped by more than half. A city like Karlovy Vary lost many millions of crowns. He also sees that it has become more difficult to sell Czech products to Russia - both agricultural and engineering (for example, machine tools and locomotives). Naturally, he doesn't want to lose money.

If we take the political side of the matter, then for Zeman (and a number of other Czech politicians) it is important to make relations with Russia predictable. Being Slavs, not all Czechs are inclined to consider the Russians a “wild Asian Horde,” and therefore it is necessary to somehow bring Russia closer to Europe. They have a bad one historical experience when the great powers try to decide something for them, and therefore strive to ensure that all the major countries of the Euro-Atlantic space are more or less able to negotiate with each other. The Czechs definitely do not want to be a target in the event of a conflict between NATO and Russia... Zeman and others like him should help establish dialogue. The question is that there will be more such politicians, and they will prevail in most European countries. So far, even in the Czech Republic, this is not easy, and there is nothing to say about many other countries.

“Zeman’s statement only at first glance seems inappropriate in the current situation,” believes Deputy Director National Institute development of modern ideology, political scientist Igor Shatrov.

— Of course, there can be no talk of any relaxation, much less the abolition of the visa regime between Russia and the EU countries at present. Brussels cannot retreat from its anti-Russian course, or rather, it cannot, because the United States will not allow it to do so. However, the same Zeman understands that European politicians who have a position different from that adopted in the EU should not remain silent. What is inappropriate is not his statement, but the linking of relations between Russia and the EU with events in Ukraine. The President of the Czech Republic thinks strategic categories, realizing that time will judge and put everything in its place. And descendants will remember kind words precisely him, and not those who are now inciting anti-Russian hysteria.

"SP":— Moscow, long before this crisis, was negotiating with Brussels on the abolition of the visa regime. Why did the Europeans so stubbornly refuse to give it, while at the same time willingly providing it to, say, Moldova?

— Brussels is not afraid that a flow of migrants will pour from Russia to Europe. Brussels, on the contrary, is hungry for an influx of cheap work force from Christian states, which will replace Arabs, Turks and other Muslims in the EU. That’s why Moldovans and Ukrainians are gladly accepted in Europe as representatives of the poorest European countries. They are willing to work for cheap. This is the main thing. Russians have not been like this for a long time. We are no longer in the 90s. This is the first. And secondly: the European bureaucracy is afraid of Russian cultural and civilizational expansion. Expanding contacts between Russia and the EU may call into question such concepts as “European values” and “European identity”. Finally - and this, I think, is the most important thing - the image of Russia as an aggressive barbaric state, which is being implanted in the West, will be destroyed. And those who cultivate this image in the eyes of the European taxpayer will then find it difficult to explain to him why Europe needs to arm itself and why sanctions have been introduced, from which Europeans suffer no less than Russians.

"SP":— Is it ever possible in the foreseeable future to resume these negotiations? Or will we be one of the last to have visas canceled with Europe? post-Soviet space?

- A change will change the situation political elites in Europe. And it will happen the faster the more actively the current European leaders cut the branch on which they are sitting, severing economic and other ties with Russia.

"SP":— How strong are the positions of politicians like Zeman in Europe? Can they force Brussels to take their opinion into account?

“In the current situation, it is not easy for Zeman to defend his position. Although many of his colleagues from other European countries hold similar views, not each of them is able to declare this. I repeat: a change in political elites in power will change a lot in Europe. And this process has already begun.

* « Islamic State"(IS, ISIS), by decision Supreme Court The Russian Federation was recognized as a terrorist organization on December 29, 2014 and its activities in Russia are prohibited.