Petr – a well-liked trip vlogger – does not hang again when speaking about new EU visa restrictions geared toward Russian vacationers.
“This is completely unfair. The people who are for Putin don’t care – they either have no money or have never been abroad,” says the 41-year-old YouTuber.
“The EU is making life as difficult as possible for those who are trying to fight the regime,” Petr provides.
He is considered one of hundreds of thousands of Russian set to be hit by means of tighter laws on entering Europe because the EU steps up sanctions towards the Kremlin over its warfare with Ukraine.
The bloc this week dominated to overturn a 2007 settlement easing visa necessities for Russians getting into the Schengen zone, which means it’ll take longer and be extra pricey.
But trip vloggers who entertain hundreds of thousands of Russians with their trips throughout Europe and past advised Euronews the sanctions are not likely to weaken Moscow.
‘Sanctions goal the ones towards the warfare’
Petr Lovigin, who has 586,000 subscribers on YouTube, mentioned the trip sanctions had “targeted those who are against the war”.
He entertains his fans with tongue-in-cheek movies from European international locations like Belgium and Portugal, the place he just lately bought a momentary residency visa.
But Lovigin admits that his content material will “narrow” as he’s to be hit by means of the extra stringent visa measures presented by means of the EU.
“I think that this is completely unfair because at least among young Russians, I’ve hardly met anyone who supports the war,” Lovigin mentioned.
“The European Union thereby makes life as difficult as possible for those who are trying to fight the regime.
“It would possibly not lend a hand. I nonetheless don’t see a unmarried sanction from the West that may prevent this warfare and Putin’s movements.
“The war is supported by the poor strata of the population, sitting in front of the TV and believing in propaganda.”
‘EU will spice up strengthen for Putin’
Leanid Pashkouski, a 34-year-old vlogger from Belarus, described the sanctions as “senseless” and mentioned they’d lend a hand Vladmir Putin.
With over 1.1million subscribers, his contemporary movies have lined the warfare in Ukraine and the refugee disaster.
Pashkouski is indirectly suffering from the EU’s new visa restrictions however mentioned he fears being impacted as he claimed the EU “often equates Russia and Belarus”.
“I think these restrictions are just senseless, ineffective moves made by the EU authorities instead of doing real things,” mentioned Pashkouski, a YouTuber for 5 years.
“They probably look like serious sanctions to the European public and make them calmer about the Russian question.
“In fact it gained’t prevent Putin, it gained’t lend a hand to win the warfare, it would possibly not even save you the Russians from travelling.”
Pashkouski added: “Instead, such sanctions may for sure have an reverse impact: folks in Russia will consolidate an increasing number of round Putin’s ideology – as a result of they see the entire global hating and cancelling them.
“What is the best reaction to hate? To stand together against the enemy. It means visa ban end restrictions just will help Putin to achieve his goal.
“Also, those that have the likelihood to trip are towards the regime as a rule, so the EU is hitting its allies.”
Pashkouski said that the tighter requirements could put some Russians in danger by making it more difficult to leave the country.
“Such a technique is basically mindless and useless.
“It puts in danger many activists, journalists and citizens who need or will need a safe place to escape,” he mentioned.