In light of a heated discussions surrounding an EU directive on sanctions enforcement, Estonia has decided to prohibit motor vehicles with Russian license plates from entering the country, as announced by authorities in the Baltic nation on Wednesday.
“Starting from today… Estonia will deny entry to all Russian registered vehicles,” declared Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on X, formerly Twitter.
Estonia’s Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets stated that the decision was made following clarifications from the European Commission on sanctions compliance, which were met with accusations of “racism” and calls from Russian officials to suspend diplomatic relations with the European Union.
Laanemets also hinted that Latvia and Lithuania, the other two Baltic states, may soon follow suit and implement their own entry bans on Russian vehicles.
“We found in consultation with Latvian and Lithuanian authorities that restrictions are most effective when jointly enforcing sanctions,” explained Laanemets, as reported by the Estonian broadcaster ERR.
In a September 8th explanatory note, the European Commission highlighted that existing regulations prohibit the purchase, import, or transfer of goods originating from Russia.
This led to Russian media speculating that EU countries would now be able to confiscate various personal belongings, such as clothing, jewelry, and electronics. However, a spokesperson from the European Commission clarified that the sanctions compliance would specifically target cars.
Foreign Minister Laanemets intends to address the issue of Russian cars in Estonia during Thursday’s cabinet session, according to the regional news outlet Delfi.
Estonia, a former Soviet republic, is currently a member of both the European Union and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. It shares a 300-kilometer border with Russia.
Throughout Russia’s nearly 19-month invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and is among the countries advocating for a tougher stance against Moscow.
