Kuleba says EU should have taken more time to pass tougher decision on visas for Russians

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that given a choice between half-measures on visas for Russian citizens and no measure, he would choose neither, opting for more time to discuss a truly tough decision.

The top diplomat made the comment, speaking at the Forum 2000 conference in Prague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Discussing the issue of visas for citizens of the Russian Federation, Kuleba noted that there will always be difficult choices on the way to victory, and that there will always be a temptation to make a half-decision against the aggressor and achieve a balance. In this context, the minister warned that the age of peace in Europe is over and the age of the half-West is also over, calling on the EU to be resolute, loyal, and tough, which is the only way to win a war against a country like Russia, led by Vladimir Putin.

“So if I have to face a situation where I had to choose between a half-measure, such as on visas, and no measure, I would prefer a no measure. I would rather take more time for discussion, more time to find a solution that would produce a really tough measure," said the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.

In his opinion, this is the policy that will “take us to victory.”

"I am absolutely confident (in this - ed.), and this is not only my confidence, this is how peope of Ukraine will feel," he added.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, at a Gymnich meeting in Prague, EU foreign ministers agreed that the number of new Schengen visas for Russian citizens will be significantly reduced, and obtaining them will become more difficult and take more time.