Lithuania is preparing to bar Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine from entering the country, working alongside Estonia which has already begun implementing such a ban.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said on Wednesday that a list of Russian soldiers was already being acted upon, though Lithuania was still working through the practicalities.
"This is a national initiative, Estonia has already started, we are now figuring out when, who, and how can implement it, because it is a demanding job," he said.
The minister stressed the need for accuracy before proceeding. "We must be sure that the data is truly authentic and correct, and that there will be no legal disputes afterwards. Our colleagues from Estonia have the list. We are sharing it, they are already implementing it, and we are joining in," he said.
Lithuania's Migration Department said it had not yet received the official data, but that decisions would be made within its competence once it did.
Kondratovič said the number of Russians who had fought against Ukraine could potentially reach hundreds of thousands.
In January, Estonia called on EU member states to introduce a coordinated Schengen visa ban for such individuals. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said at the time that Vilnius backed the proposal.
He also said the country’s institutions are capable of processing the necessary data flows.
Under existing Lithuanian regulations, visa applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens are no longer accepted, except in cases mediated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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