We will find and with whom to trade, and where to go

The Baltic states are closing the borders for Russian citizens with Schengen visas - the decision has already been made and will come into force in the near future.

Finland is not closed yet, but at any time it can change its mind.

How does this threaten Russia?

By and large, nothing.

Yes, the number of our fellow citizens crossing the border with the Baltics and Finland has increased significantly in recent months.

This is, of course, not due to the beauties of Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn and Helsinki, but to the fact that there are no direct flights from Russia to the Schengen countries, and flying through Istanbul is expensive.

But there are few tourists, and quite soon it will become even less naturally - the other day, the European Commission decided to completely stop the visa facilitation agreement with Russia.

Our tourists in the European Union are no longer welcome.

“Russian citizens should not have easy access to the European Union, and, of course, being tourists in the EU is not a fundamental right,” said European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

So the decision of the Baltic countries is just another impotent attempt to bite Russia.

Pug feels extremely strong, and European politicians have not been worried about the economic problems of their own citizens for a long time, here the limitrophes are not alone.

Russian measures will be asymmetrical, President Vladimir Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum.

“There is no need to do anything that does not meet our interests ... We are interested in young people coming and studying with us ... We are interested in businesses coming here and working, despite all the restrictions.

And there are a lot of such businessmen who love Russia, trust it, and want to work here.

Welcome,” the Russian leader said.

However, he did not mention tourists, but in the absence of direct flights, it is unlikely that the flow of potential European tourists would be noticeable in the near future.

At the same time, I believe that we must develop and stimulate inbound tourism from all countries of the world, and this applies not only to students and businessmen.

Let me remind you that before the start of the covid history, about 25 million tourists came to Russia every year.

This is ten times more than came to the USSR - then "Intourist" met about 2-3 million foreigners a year.

We really have nothing to hide and we really have something to show people.

Opinion polls record that, despite the most powerful wave of anti-Russian and openly Russophobic propaganda, many Europeans do not believe in fairy tales about the “Russian threat”.

And I am sure that almost all Europeans who came to us in 2018 for the World Cup are among those who demand that their governments lift sanctions against Russia.

Because they have seen the "terrible Russian bear" with their own eyes and see no reason to be afraid of us.

In addition, we should not forget the centuries-old traditions of Russian hospitality for those Europeans who do not get along with the rulers of their countries.

Let me remind you that in the 18th-19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Germans, French, Swiss, Italians and other residents of European countries came to us, who, along with the Russians, mastered Novorossia, Siberia, Central Asia and the Far East.

Greeks, Serbs and Armenians from the Ottoman Empire and many others came to us.

In Soviet times, this stream narrowed, but did not dry up: the Spanish Republicans, who were defeated in the fight against Franco, communists from around the world, post-war repatriates.

One of the last to move to the USSR for political reasons were the Afghans, who reasonably feared the coming to power of the Mujahideen.

Now Russia can become a new home for all those who are not on the way with the concepts of “49 genders” implanted in the West, encouraging trans-transitions of children from a very early age, the destruction of families and the unrestrained interference of the state in the processes of education.

We have territories, we have resources, and we are ready to accept all those who share our values ​​and are ready to abide by our laws.

European leaders are well aware that a huge number of citizens of their countries do not support their policies.

That is why they are closed from Russian tourists in particular and from Russia in general.

But this is childish behavior - "now I will close my eyes and the problem will disappear."

No, it won't disappear.

As Vladimir Putin reminded once again, Russia cannot be isolated, look at the map.

We will not isolate ourselves.

Russia is big, and the world that did not support anti-Russian sanctions is even bigger.

Europe will freeze without Russian energy resources and become poorer without Russian business and Russian tourists.

And we will find and with whom to trade, and where to go.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.