Finland Proposes Restricting Russian Athletes’ Access to Schengen Area
Finland has proposed restricting Russian athletes’ access to all 29 countries in the Schengen area. The initiative follows a Swiss court ruling requiring the International Ice Hockey Federation to admit Russian national teams to international competitions, while the European Commission is already considering similar travel restrictions.
Key points
- Finland called on the EU to restrict Russian athletes’ access to the entire Schengen area.
- The Schengen area comprises 29 states: 25 EU countries and Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
- On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to admit Russian hockey teams to international competitions.
- The IIHF confirmed that Russia may take Ukraine’s place at the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship, scheduled for May 13–30 in Germany.
- The European Commission is already considering restrictions on Russian athletes’ access to the Schengen area.
- Twenty-one European Parliament members called for new sanctions and visa restrictions to prevent Russian hockey teams from returning to international events.
- Finland said Russian athletes would not be welcome in the country in 2027 if Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
Why it matters
Potential Schengen travel restrictions could complicate Russian athletes’ participation in competitions across Europe and link international sports policy to EU migration and visa rules. The 2027 men’s ice hockey world championship in Germany may become a practical test of the proposed measures.
What happened
Finland proposed that Russian athletes be denied access to all countries in the Schengen area, asking EU counterparts to consider the proposal in writing at an October meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs. The European Commission is already examining the issue. The move came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation on October 30 to admit Russian national hockey teams to international competitions. The IIHF later confirmed that Russia could take Ukraine’s place at the 2027 world championship in Germany, held May 13–30. Finnish, German, Czech and Austrian hockey officials criticized the court ruling. Sweden, meanwhile, said it would not boycott tournaments featuring Russia, although it is considering refusing visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes competing there.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian officials and European Parliament members who signed the letter portrayed the return of Russian hockey teams as unacceptable while Russia continues its war and kills Ukrainians. Their proposals focus on sanctions, stricter visa rules and limits on Russian athletes’ entry to European competitions.
How international sources describe it
European coverage has focused on possible Schengen travel restrictions and their potential effect on Russian athletes’ participation in European events. The response is divided: hockey organizations in several countries criticized the court decision, while Sweden said it would not boycott tournaments featuring Russia. European Parliament members also urged event hosts to examine ways to restrict Russian entry and stressed that permission to participate does not itself confer a right of entry.
Background
Russian national hockey teams had been barred from international competitions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Schengen area comprises 29 countries, which reportedly issued nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russians in 2025. Finland has also called for an end to tourist visas for Russian citizens during the war and for visa restrictions on Vladimir Putin’s closest circle.