Eleven European countries, including Czechia, Poland, and the three Baltic states, have written to senior EU officials urging an immediate ban on tourist visas for Russian nationals in the Schengen Area (the EU's 27-country passport-free travel zone). The letter, sent ahead of a Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, argues that allowing Russian tourists to holiday on European beaches while missiles strike Ukrainian civilians is "deeply disturbing." The call highlights a growing north-south divide within the EU: visa issuances to Russians rose 8% in 2025 to over 623,000, with southern member states such as France, Italy, Spain, and Greece granting the vast majority, while signatories like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issue virtually none.