Poland has imposed a European Union ban on Russian-registered passenger cars, marking the latest in a series of sanctions on Russia for its war against Ukraine.
Under the EU’s decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc. Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski stated that a car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland. The move comes just days after the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia banned vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory. Poland and the Baltic states are among the most vocal European critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, denounced the European Commission’s move as racist and suggested that Moscow could retaliate by suspending diplomatic ties with the EU and recalling its diplomats from Brussels.
Poland shares a land border with the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, which is an exclave separated from the Russian mainland. The Border Guard agency said the ban would be the same regardless of which border the vehicles sought to cross.
