Several countries refused to support the ban on the entry of Russian cars: the confusion became even greater

This week, an official ban on the entry of cars with Russian license plates came into force in a number of EU countries. But after this discrimination based on the “place of registration of vehicles”, which contradicts the principles of the European Union itself, “came out of hiding,” the confusion became even greater.

Germany was the first to show its fellow EU members what “seizure of a personal car from its owner based on the country of registration” means. This began two weeks ago at the level of chaotic seizures of private vehicles from Russian tourists at various land checkpoints. And last week, five more countries that have a land border with the Russian Federation – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Poland – joined the ban on the entry of private cars with Russian license plates.

“These countries made direct statements after clarifications from the European Commission,” explains a domestic visa intermediary specializing in Western Europe. – Although the explanations are very vague and vague, the main thing follows from them: it is impossible to discriminate based on the car number plate, it is impossible to discriminate based on the principle of the place of registration of car number plates – but if you really want to, then you can. And then, as they say, all sorts of equivocations began. Latvia promised not to confiscate cars with a Russian registration that are already on their territory. Estonia, on the contrary, stated that it really wants to confiscate all Russian cars that have already entered Estonia, but is in no hurry to officially announce this, realizing that this is actually illegal.

According to experts, Finland behaves most consistently of all: having openly announced the ban and confiscation of vehicles from violators, the Finns gave the Russians until March 16 to remove the cars already imported into their territory with registration in the Russian Federation in order to avoid confiscation.

“As an option, they offer to re-register the car in Finland,” says Mila from Vyborg, who has an official husband in Hamina, Finland. – Those who do not have a residence permit can re-register in the name of any Finnish citizen and travel by proxy. I immediately signed the car over to my husband; I have to drive back and forth for business purposes. Everyone says that the checkpoints are empty.

According to Mila and other eyewitnesses, at the border land points between the Russian Federation and Finland, queues on the Russian side have disappeared, only buses, trucks and Finns themselves pass through – or Russians in cars re-registered as Finns. And if you believe the Finnish border service itself, after Finnish border guards turned away 37 of 81 vehicles with RUS license plates arriving from the Russian Federation and Norway at ground checkpoints over the past weekend, the number of crossings of the Finnish border by Russians overall decreased by 7%. According to the management of the Vaalimaa checkpoint, the usual traffic of crossings from the Russian Federation is 600-700 people per day; on Sunday there were only 40 land tourists.

“But Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria and Greece are now at a loss,” shares the Russian consular expert. – If all countries unanimously agreed to this for the sake of bringing the Russians to their senses, they would also definitely join. But the most radical “sanctions” bloc, led by Germany, did not expect such a blow from its Western neighbors – France, Spain and Italy clearly stated that they were not going to confiscate anything from incoming Russians.

And after them, Bulgaria and Greece began to doubt, where Russian motor tourists enter through Georgia and Turkey and spend their money in these countries. According to the head of the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kalin Stoyanov, the Bulgarians have not yet decided what to do with Russian cars: “We have received a document banning cars registered in Russia from crossing the EU border. We will look into it and make an appropriate decision.” As for Norway and Sweden, the reserved Scandinavian powers are still silent. And our citizens calmly drive into cars with Russian license plates.

“Yesterday we entered through the Storskog checkpoint,” shares a couple from Moscow. – We won’t say anything more for now, otherwise we have not yet reached our final destination in Sweden.

“Norway is not a member of the EU and is not obliged to obey the European Commission,” says Oleg from Murmansk, who has a joint business with the Norwegian side. – The business of the Norwegians themselves from the border areas is tied to the Murmansk region; it is more unprofitable for them to aggravate relations with Russia than with the EU.

Russian businessmen related to the Arctic Council, in which both our countries sit, speak about the same thing.

“And France also stated that “some countries like Finland and Poland independently changed the rules specified in Directive No. 833/2014 of the European Union, but France did not change them,” says the Russian visa intermediary. – And the Czech Republic first banned it in the general choir, and now it’s slowing down. They say that Russian cars are not their problem at all; they have no borders with Russia.

Indeed, Mr. Vit Rakušan, the head of the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs, the day before answered the question whether the Czech Republic would restrict the entry of cars with Russian license plates, as follows: “Countries located on the external border of the Schengen zone should restrict the entry of cars with RUS license plates. And inside Schengen there are no border controls.”

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29118 dated September 20, 2023

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