Nordic, Baltic states send letter of concern re Hungary to EU commissioner

TALLINN - The foreign and interior ministers of the Nordic and Baltic countries have sent a joint letter to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson to express concern about Hungary's decision to extend the system of national cards to citizens of Russia and Belarus.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Hungary’s decision to ease the terms of entry into Hungary and therefore to the Schengen area for Russian and Belarusian nationals is in no way justified in a situation where Russia is continuing its war in Ukraine and also intensifying its hybrid actions against EU countries.

"Therefore, this constitutes a great security threat to us all," Tsahkna said. "We must continue raising the cost of the war for Russia and isolating Russia internationally for as long as the aggression in Ukraine continues, not make it easier for Russian citizens to enter the free and democratic world to enjoy everything they are trying to take from Ukraine."

In early July, the government of Hungary expanded the list of countries from where workers can enter the country more freely. Since then, easier entry into Hungary is possible from eight non-EU countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. This means that the citizens of these countries can also feely enter other Schengen area countries.