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'Russia bears full responsibility' - EU blames Moscow for Ukrainian drone incident in Romania, backs Zelensky talks offer

"European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper on Friday welcomed the recent Ukraine initiative for direct negotiations with Russia, while laying the blame for the Ukrainian drone that exploded in a Romanian port firmly at Moscow's door. "We welcome President Zelensky's call for direct negotiations, as well as his call for a ceasefire. And from our side, we will once more go through the facts: Ukraine wants peace, and Europe wants peace," said Hipper during a press briefing. However, when asked about reports that the E3 — the United Kingdom, Germany and France — could seek to facilitate direct talks, Hipper declined to comment on whether the group should act as a mediator. "We will not go into who should be the mediator or not. We are focusing on our position, our demands, and our requests," she said. The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter. Vladimir Putin later said there was no point in holding such a meeting unless agreements could be reached that would provide a durable settlement, adding that any arrangement should be designed "not for six months, not for three months, but for a long historical perspective." Hipper also noted that the European Union is following developments closely and expressed solidarity with Romania after the recent drone incidents. "We have also seen the President's announcement of Romania that the Romanian authorities are currently investigating the circumstances and that the drone has reached the port and they will look through all the potential risks," Hipper added. "Once more this incident is showing very clearly that this is Russia's doing and this is a direct result of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine," she went on. "So Russia bears the full responsibility for the escalatory measures that have an impact also on the EU member states." The Commission also outlined plans for additional measures targeting Russian citizens' access to the Schengen area. "Restricting the issuance of visas to Russian citizens has been a top priority for the Commission from the very start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022. We have taken unprecedented action and we will continue to do so," said Markus Lammert, European Commission spokesperson for Home Affairs, Migration and Security. According to Lammert, the number of Schengen visas issued to Russian nationals has fallen sharply since the start of the conflict. "Schengen visas issued to Russian nationals have dropped significantly since the beginning of the war. We had around 4 million per year before the war. We are now at around half a million per year," he added. Lammert said the Commission is preparing additional proposals as part of a planned revision of the EU Visa Code and is assessing possible ways to restrict access to the Schengen area for anyone that fought for Russia in Ukraine."