Officials from the Baltic and Nordic states want Russians with military ties barred from entering the Schengen area even after Ukraine conflict ends

Top officials from several Baltic and Nordic countries have called for banning all Russians with past or current ties to the military from entering the Schengen Zone, claiming they could pose a "criminal threat" to the EU, even after the Ukraine conflict ends.

The ban was proposed in a joint statement by the interior ministers of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Finland after a meeting in Tallinn on Thursday. All of the represented countries, except Sweden, have already effectively shut down their borders to Russian citizens.

In their statement, which was shared by the Estonian Interior Ministry, the officials claimed that "even after the end of the military operation against Ukraine, threats emanating from Russia to the internal security of the European Union will remain."

They claimed that hundreds of thousands of Russian nationals who have taken part in military operations against Ukraine now have combat experience and could supposedly join organized crime groups in Europe.

The statement urges EU member states to take all necessary steps to prevent individuals with military backgrounds from Russia from moving freely within the Schengen area and undermining the bloc's security. It calls for a complete ban on residence permits and visas for these individuals.

The officials also highlighted the need for drone detection and disruption capabilities along the eastern borders to counter threats from organized crime networks and hostile states.

Last month, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze urged all EU member states to stop issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens, citing risks to the bloc's internal security. Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis also insisted the EU must acknowledge it is "in a hybrid war" with Russia and claimed that Russian tourists are a danger to the bloc.

In recent months, a number of Eastern European governments have argued that Russia could pose a military threat to the EU even after the Ukraine conflict concludes and have enacted draconian policies specifically targeting Russian nationals and Russian speakers.

Moscow has vehemently accused Western officials, particularly those in the Baltics, of fearmongering to justify a military buildup and "blatant discrimination against Russians."

The country's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously also stated that the EU's Russophobia has turned out to be an "expensive obsession" for the bloc, noting that it has dealt a significant blow to its economy and citizens.