White House on Holding All Russians Accountable for Putin's Actions

The White House has stated that holding all Russians accountable for Vladimir Putin's actions is not considered an effective measure. This was announced by John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council of the United States, in an interview with the Dozhd TV channel, commenting on the U.S. stance regarding the European Union's plans to impose restrictions on Schengen visas for Russian citizens.

Washington believes that individual entry bans for members of the Russian government, oligarchs, and others directly involved in the invasion of Ukraine have become an effective means against President Putin and his inner circle, Kirby said.

He emphasized that the West cannot now develop relations with Russia as if nothing happened, but ordinary Russians should not suffer as a result. 'This should not turn into a war against all Russians,' Kirby stated.

Since the onset of the large-scale war in Ukraine, Western countries have begun to impose entry restrictions on Russian officials, politicians, and businessmen. Some EU countries, including the Czech Republic and Latvia, have stopped issuing tourist Schengen visas to Russian citizens. A few months after the invasion began, certain EU countries called for a pan-European ban. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also urged to restrict Russians' entry into the European Union.