Estonian President Ülle Madise has backed Finland’s initiative for an EU-wide ban on tourist visas for Russian citizens during her first visit to Finland since taking office.
Madise met Finnish President Alexander Stubb at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday, just two days after she was sworn in as Estonia’s new head of state.
Their talks covered Russia’s war against Ukraine, European defence, regional security and NATO cooperation, as well as bilateral relations between the neighbouring countries.
At a joint press conference, Madise expressed support for Finland’s proposal to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians across the EU.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called earlier this week for EU member states to end the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens for as long as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine. Finland has restricted visas for non-essential travel by Russian citizens since 2022.
Almost 500,000 tourist visas were issued to Russian citizens by Schengen countries in 2025, according to Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Valtonen has asked other EU countries to join a letter calling on the European Commission to tighten visa policy and make the necessary legislative changes for a wider ban.
Presidents discuss Ukraine and NATO
Madise also stressed the importance of NATO’s Article 5 collective-defence commitment.
The presidents were asked about recent uncertainty surrounding relations between the United States and Ukraine, including reports that Washington could restrict the sharing of intelligence with Kyiv.
Alexander Stubb said recent messaging on the issue had been confusing but that he had no information indicating that intelligence sharing had been stopped.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States continued to share intelligence with Ukraine. Reports about possible restrictions followed disagreement over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Stubb said Finland and Estonia also support an energy ceasefire in Ukraine. Madise stressed that decisions about Ukraine’s future must ultimately be made by Ukrainians themselves.
The Helsinki meeting was one of Madise’s first foreign engagements as president. She visited Latvia on Tuesday before travelling to Finland on Wednesday, with her office saying the trips were intended to underline Estonia’s close relations with its two neighbours and allies.
Madise, a legal scholar and Estonia’s former Chancellor of Justice, took office on 12 October after being elected by the Estonian parliament in September with 71 votes.