Yulia Navalnaya urged the European Union on Wednesday to refrain from placing restrictions on tourist visas for Russian citizens, contending that such actions would negatively affect ordinary people and bolster Kremlin propaganda.

This week, the Italian news agency ANSA reported that EU countries were considering more stringent tourist visa regulations following a surge in Russian applications over the summer. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has indicated that the bloc’s 19th sanctions package “should be ready” by the end of September.

In a letter addressed to Kallas, Navalnaya emphasized that President Vladimir Putin does not represent the entirety of Russia and insisted that regular Russian citizens are not responsible for the ongoing war.

Navalnaya, the widow of the late activist Alexei Navalny, expressed that a potential tourist visa ban would disproportionately affect Russians who still have ties to Europe, rather than the elites who support Putin.

“There is no reason to assume that applying pressure on the entire population will sway the views of Russia’s leadership and its president,” she stated.

Instead, Navalnaya called on Brussels to enhance targeted sanctions against Putin’s close associates.

“The possibilities for targeted sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s closest companions and members of his elite are not yet fully explored,” she noted, mentioning individuals like conductor Valery Gergiev and billionaire Leonid Mikhelson, among others linked to the Kremlin or benefiting from the war.

She also pointed out that imposing broad restrictions on Russian travelers would serve to advance the Kremlin’s isolationist agenda. “To foster peace in Europe, assisting Russian authorities in isolating Russian society is counterproductive,” Navalnaya asserted.