Cyprus and Portugal Refuse Russian Tourist Ban, Say Random People Shouldn’t be Punished

Some people are of course going to think this anti-Russia stuff has gone too far, and that it’s now verging on “zany antics.”

I’m pretty sure we crossed into zany antics territory a while ago, but people don’t know. They don’t know what we know about zany antics.

RT:

Cyprus and Portugal are refusing to back a proposal by several other EU nations to ban Russian tourists, as part of anti-Moscow sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

Portugal believes that the fundamental objective of the sanctions is to punish the Russian war machine and not the Russian people,” the Portuguese Foreign Ministry said in a statement to news website ECO on Friday.

Kornelios Korneliou, General Secretary of the Cyprus Foreign Ministry, said his country also opposes a blanket ban on Russian travelers. “It would be a decision in the wrong direction,” Konreliou told Politico magazine on Friday. “We believe in people-to-people contacts.”

Cyprus has a sizable population of Russian-speakers, around 50,000 of whom live in the southern city of Limassol, according to Politico.

“We shouldn’t prevent these communities from coming into contact with families and friends,” Korneliou said. “The main weapon is European unity and our partners should respect the sensitivities of others on this issue.”

Greece suspended issuing visas to Russians in late June, but resumed the following month. Like Cyprus, Greece is a popular tourist destination for Russians, and, according to Politico, Athens also opposes a total ban on Russian visitors.

This is also these people’s money, you know?

Previously: Estonia and Finland Ask Europe to End All Russian Tourist Visas, Say Visiting Europe “Not a Human Right”

It’s a lot easier for Finland, which is not a top tourist destination, to ban all Russians for the purpose of showing how moral they are, while they cheat on their husbands on cocaine.