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| Putin pointing the finger at the Albanian flag and the "blacklist" |
Following the sanctions against Russia for the military attack on Ukraine, Moscow is 'taking revenge' on the Albanian citizens by returning the visa regime. The news was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said that this normative act will bring a series of restrictions to entering the territory of Russia
"This act will bring a series of restrictions on entry into Russian territory," Lavrov said.
On March 7, the Russian government published a list of countries that "take unfriendly action against Russia, Russian companies and citizens," referring to the economic sanctions imposed in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to a decree published on the government website, the list includes Albania, Andorra, Australia, Great Britain, Jersey, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, EU member states, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, San Marino, Northern Macedonia, Singapore, USA, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, and Japan.
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| The Russian "Blacklist" of the unfriendly countries |
The United States and its allies "directly" declared "a war" against Russia, Lavrov continued.
"The West does not hide the purpose of this confrontation, to destroy the Russian economy, to undermine internal political stability and, ultimately, to significantly weaken Russia," Lavrov said.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began on February 24, has provoked a strong international reaction from the EU, the US, and the United Kingdom, among others, by imposing harsh financial sanctions on Moscow. According to the UN, at least 1119 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1790 civilians injured, while the true figure is suspected to be much higher.