This week (30-31/08) EU Foreign Ministers meet in #Prague where they'll discussion the #visaban.
I've worked on issues relating to visas, borders & EU foreign & security policy for 2 decades.
Here's what you need to know
- & why you should SUPPORT the #visabanforrussians
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I've worked on issues relating to visas, borders & EU foreign & security policy for 2 decades.
Here's what you need to know
- & why you should SUPPORT the #visabanforrussians
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You can lobby your government to support this - including on Twitter.
No one (sensible) is talking about banning all Russians from EU states. For which visas would be affected see here
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No one (sensible) is talking about banning all Russians from EU states. For which visas would be affected see here
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2. To bolster #EU states security & resilience:
- prevent agents of influence entering the EU
- make life more difficult for those who service & support RU field agents
- but, more importantly,
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- prevent agents of influence entering the EU
- make life more difficult for those who service & support RU field agents
- but, more importantly,
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3. To use our power to stand up for our democracies:
- stoppingπ·πΊs enjoying our societies while their compatriots undermine them can prevent resentment in our states
- & will show our citizens that we have had enough of fighting autocracies with one hand behind our backs
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- stoppingπ·πΊs enjoying our societies while their compatriots undermine them can prevent resentment in our states
- & will show our citizens that we have had enough of fighting autocracies with one hand behind our backs
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1c) To use our power to stand up for our democracies:
- for too long we've fixated on liberal processes
- we need to prioritise achieving liberal outcomes
- we need to show we're not afraid to use our power for this purpose.
- power begets power- a #visaban will embolden us
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- for too long we've fixated on liberal processes
- we need to prioritise achieving liberal outcomes
- we need to show we're not afraid to use our power for this purpose.
- power begets power- a #visaban will embolden us
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BUT ... you have questions
Q1. Doesn't this rely on a 'with us or against logic'?
- YES, of course & that's an essential part of war-fighting & war winning!
As @markgaleotti put it: There are 2 wars:
- a military one in #Ukraine
- a political-economic one between RU & West
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Q1. Doesn't this rely on a 'with us or against logic'?
- YES, of course & that's an essential part of war-fighting & war winning!
As @markgaleotti put it: There are 2 wars:
- a military one in #Ukraine
- a political-economic one between RU & West
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Q2. But isn't this collective punishment?
- NO. Collective punishment is an appropriate term for something like the Nazi massacre of Czechs at Lidice.
- withdrawing a privilege like EU travel should not be described in this way (& only is to wrongly discredit).
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- NO. Collective punishment is an appropriate term for something like the Nazi massacre of Czechs at Lidice.
- withdrawing a privilege like EU travel should not be described in this way (& only is to wrongly discredit).
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Q2. But isn't this collective punishment?
- No, It's a collective withdrawal of privilege which is appropriate given the responsibility that Russian society bears for the regime's actions
- much like Germans & Austrians bore some responsibility for the Nazi regime's crimes
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- No, It's a collective withdrawal of privilege which is appropriate given the responsibility that Russian society bears for the regime's actions
- much like Germans & Austrians bore some responsibility for the Nazi regime's crimes
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Q2. But isn't this collective punishment?
- No, all migration regimes are based primarily on citizenship
- We (wrongly) withhold this privilege from many societies that aren't hostile to us
- It's more targeted than economic sanctions, as it focuses on upper middle class
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- No, all migration regimes are based primarily on citizenship
- We (wrongly) withhold this privilege from many societies that aren't hostile to us
- It's more targeted than economic sanctions, as it focuses on upper middle class
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Q3. Doesn't it punish the Russian opposition & prevent them getting out?
- this isn't about them. They are not the main concern here - #Ukraine is.
- any unfairness in this regard is insignificant compared to the injustices visited upon Ukrainians
-
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- this isn't about them. They are not the main concern here - #Ukraine is.
- any unfairness in this regard is insignificant compared to the injustices visited upon Ukrainians
-
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Q3. Doesn't it punish the Russian opposition & prevent them getting out?
- while we know they oppose Putin, we often don't know what they stand FOR
- they have other ways to leave which we should encourage. It's better they make a choice, emigrate & vote with their feet
- while we know they oppose Putin, we often don't know what they stand FOR
- they have other ways to leave which we should encourage. It's better they make a choice, emigrate & vote with their feet
Q3. Doesn't it punish the Russian opposition & prevent them getting out?
- No: we should prevent the misuse of tourist visas for humanitarian purpose & instead increase provision of existing, well scrutinised humanitarian & emigration channels putting spare capacity to use.
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- No: we should prevent the misuse of tourist visas for humanitarian purpose & instead increase provision of existing, well scrutinised humanitarian & emigration channels putting spare capacity to use.
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Q4. Isn't is unfair to demand resistance from people under threat?
- Vaclav Havel (hmself a dissident before becoming Czech President) was clear on this: individual decisions not to resist can be understandable given the costs
- But every acquiescence bolsters the regime
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- Vaclav Havel (hmself a dissident before becoming Czech President) was clear on this: individual decisions not to resist can be understandable given the costs
- But every acquiescence bolsters the regime
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Q4. Isn't is unfair to demand resistance from people under threat?
- Cumulatively, such acquiescence allows the oppressive state to performatively reproduce its power and thus to endure
- this endurance has given us a Russia that butchers its neighbours & destabilised Europe
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- Cumulatively, such acquiescence allows the oppressive state to performatively reproduce its power and thus to endure
- this endurance has given us a Russia that butchers its neighbours & destabilised Europe
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Q5. Won't this play into the hands of Russia's propagandists?
- who cares? they say whatever the hell they want anyway-from threatening to nuke us to comparing Scholz to Hitler.
- we can't fall for this strategy of reflexive control {Trying to get us to tie our own hands)
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- who cares? they say whatever the hell they want anyway-from threatening to nuke us to comparing Scholz to Hitler.
- we can't fall for this strategy of reflexive control {Trying to get us to tie our own hands)
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Q7. Isn't the point of a #visaban to help change Russia?
- Not directly. It will give a lot of wealthier 'apolitical' Russians, something to think about - why is this happening? Is Putin still worth it?
- encouraging aπ·πΊbrain drain is good but won't change anything overnight
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- Not directly. It will give a lot of wealthier 'apolitical' Russians, something to think about - why is this happening? Is Putin still worth it?
- encouraging aπ·πΊbrain drain is good but won't change anything overnight
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