EU demands clampdown on issuing visas to Russian citizens

BRUSSELS (AP) — EU Migration Commissioner Ylva Johansson is urging European Union member countries to clamp down on issuing visas to Russian citizens. She says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, his military call up, and his annexation of parts of Ukraine have heightened security fears in Europe. Johansson said Friday that “this is clearly an escalation and that means also an escalation of the security threat towards the European Union.”  Over 194,000 Russians have fled to Georgia, Kazakhstan and Finland since Putin announced a military call-up last week. Johansson says authorities must also stop short-term visa holders from Russia from renewing their documents without returning home. She says Russians should be obliged to apply for EU visas only from inside Russia.