The EU is this week expected to severely limit the number of tourist visas available to Russian citizens.

Foreign Ministers will meet in Prague to debate the proposals.

While some countries are calling for a total suspension of all visas for Russian tourists, ministers are more likely to agree to suspend the Visa Facilitation Agreement, which gives Russian’s preferential treatment for Schengen-area visas.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Brussels-based journalist Jack Parrock said the move will mean Russian tourists will face the “longest, hardest process” to get visas moving forward.

Some EU countries bordering Russia have called for stricter measures and have already moved to ban or limit visas.

However, other nations have warned that an outright ban could prevent dissident Russians from fleeing their homeland.

Mr Parrock said it is already quite difficult for Russians to travel to Europe.

“If a Russian citizen wants to come into the EU now, they mainly have to fly through Istanbul at the moment in Turkey or through Belgrade in Serbia,” he said.

“There are no direct flights from Moscow or St Petersburg straight into the EU.

“So those countries that have borders and were in the sphere of influence of Russia for many years are taking a much harder position on this, while countries like Greece, Cyprus and Germany worry that what this might mean is it will prevent any Russians that hold sort of dissident positions against the Putin regime from getting access to the EU for protection if they speak out against what Russia is doing with the war in Ukraine.”

The EU restricted visas for Russians linked to the Kremlin back in February; however, tourist visas were still permitted.

The Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging the west to shut its borders to all Russians, insisting they should “live in their own world until they change their philosophy”.

The Kremlin has labelled Kyiv’s appeal ‘irrational’.