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Kremlin blasts President Zelensky's call for West to close international borders to Russians

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's demand for an international travel ban on all Russians has triggered heavy criticism in Moscow but found support in Baltic countries, the Anews reported, citing Reuters.
Zelensky's appeal was received "extremely negatively," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, according to the Interfax agency.
He said: "The irrationality of the thought process exceeds every measure."
Zelensky told the Washington Post in an interview published on Monday that "the most important sanctions are to close the borders — because the Russians are taking away someone else's land."
In reply to Zelensky's travel sanctions suggestion, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday called him "the greatest Ukrainian clown" on Twitter - and even compared him to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
Since the start of Russia's invasion, Medvedev has repeatedly hurled insults at Ukraine, a country he recently suggested may soon not even "exist on the world map."

Moscow frequently justifies its war by saying it is carrying out the the "de-Nazification" of Ukraine, a phrase that causes particular outrage because Zelensky is of Jewish descent.
EU countries neighbouring Russia have become more vocal recently on the issue of tourist visas for Russians.
The Finnish Foreign Ministry raised concerns that Finland is being used as a transit country by some Russian tourists to enter the EU before travelling on to their final destination within the bloc.
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Tourist visa for countries that are part of the so-called Schengen area, which is made up of 22 EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, allow tourists to travel freely between the countries.
The Finnish Foreign Ministry is now considering whether to stop issuing new visas to people who have used Finland as a transit hub in the past, according to a report by the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
"It's not right that at the same time as Russia is waging an aggressive, brutal war of aggression in Europe, Russians can live a normal life, travel in Europe, be tourists," Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told Yle in an interview.
"My personal position is that tourism should be restricted," she added.
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Marin said she had discussed the issue of Schengen tourist visas for Russian nationals at summit meeting with other EU leaders before the summer and is expecting more talks.
Finland's call to sanction tourist visas is echoed by EU countries Estonia and Latvia who also share a land border with Russia.
"Stop issuing tourist visas to Russians," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, adding that travelling to Europa "is a privilege, not a human right."
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Kallas stated in her tweet that since air travel from Russia to the European Union was halted following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU countries with a land border to Russia "carry the burden" as the "sole access points" to the bloc.
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu raised the issue last Friday when visiting his Polish counterpart in Warsaw.
"We will continue making proposals for more severe and efficient sanctions. The time to act is now. The seventh sanctions package is not enough," Reinsalu said in a press statement.
Latvia has already tightened visa requirements.
Ukraine says Russia creating strike force aimed at Zelenskey's hometown
Although the European Commission proposes options to sanction Russia, a spokesperson declined to comment on the calls to restrict visa travel for Russian travellers in the EU on Tuesday.
The spokesperson said in a Brussels press conference: "We are, in principle, ready to scale up the response to Russian illegal actions in and against Ukraine."
EU member states must unanimously agree to impose sanctions on a target.
Source: anews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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