Thread by @MattLightCrim

A few thoughts on the visa ban issue. As others have noted, there is no human right to visit some country or countries for tourism. War is a reason to limit tourism. Also, a tourism ban would not necessarily prevent Russian citizens from entering the EU for other reasons. 1/

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1557053566799548416

The real question is the effects of the ban. The freedom to travel abroad was a major gain for Russians after the fall of the USSR. Denying Russians access to the EU could nake a strong impact as a signal that the invasion of Ukraine is denying them something of value. 2/

It could also have a denunciatory effect, indicating to Russians that Europeans are not just playing at disapproval of the invasion and are willing to forego the financial gains of Russian tourism to make that point. Finally, a tourism ban would be a negative experience that 3/

Putin cannot prevent, thus perhaps denting his image of invincibility and highlighting that the West can impose serious costs on Russia and on him. On the other hand, it's also possible that the ban would be perceived differently; that Russians would accept Putin's narrative 4/

that the West is against Russia and Russians and not just against the invasion, and perhaps add to Putin's cachet as an embattled wartime leader. Presumably both reactions would be apparent in different segments of Russian society in different proportions. It seems to me that 5/

discussions about a ban on Russian tourism in the EU and elsewhere in the West should focus on analyzing the likelihood of these different possible scenarios, not the abstract morality of a ban. I also agree with those who argue that bringing Russian tourists to the West 6/

will not lead them to modify their views of the invasion, although that's an empirical question that can be investigated. It seems more likely that allowing Russian tourism reinforces the Kremlin narrative that Russia is winning and the West lacks the stomach for conflict. 7/7

PS: Thanks to my colleague Dr. Anne-Marie Singh for helping develop these ideas in a recent conversation.