Latvia has stated that it will not accept Russians fleeing mobilisation

• Russian President Vladimir Putin announces partial mobilisation of reservists.
• Finland’s defence minister says there are grounds for tightening the country’s visa policy for Russian citizens.
• Latvia says it will not issue humanitarian or other types of visas to those Russian citizens who avoid mobilisation.

Following President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilisation of reservists, some Western countries have indicated that they will not provide asylum or refuge to people fleeing Russia.

After speaking about Moscow’s nuclear weapons, Putin warned Western countries in a televised address on Wednesday that Russia will use all means at its disposal to protect its territory, saying “this is not a bluff.”

Soon after, Latvia, which borders Russia, stated that it will not accept any Russians fleeing Moscow’s mobilisation of troops.

“Due to security reasons, Latvia will not issue humanitarian or other types of visas to those Russian citizens who avoid mobilisation,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Finland’s defence minister said the country was closely monitoring the situation in neighbouring Russia and that there was reason to tighten the country’s visa policy for Russian citizens.

Also Read

Russia has stopped gas supplies to Latvia

Despite without providing any more information, the Russian state-owned energy corporation Gazprom...

“I can say that the military situation in Finland’s surroundings is stable and calm,” Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen said. “Our defence forces are ready, and the situation is being closely monitored.”

According to Russia’s defence minister, 300,000 additional personnel will be called up to serve in Ukraine as part of the mobilisation.

Other countries, such as the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, condemned the move.

The decision by Russia, according to Ukraine’s presidential adviser, was a “absolutely predictable appeal” and proof that the war was “clearly not going” Moscow’s way.

The order to mobilise came a day after Putin expressed support for referendums on joining Russia to be held in four Ukrainian regions controlled by Russian troops in the coming days, the first step toward formally annexing a chunk of Ukraine the size of Hungary.

Western nations have called the elections a sham.

Also Read

Latvia demolishes the last Soviet memorial in Eastern Europe.

On August 25, workers took down the 80-meter obelisk, to the delight...