EU Okays Confiscation of Cars and Phones From Russian Travelers

The sanctions heaped on Moscow in the wake of the West-orchestrated proxy war against Russia in Ukraine - and now the EU's "moral outrage" has morphed into pure violation of individual freedoms of common Russian citizens.

In another spate of sanctions, the European Union has targeted innocent Russians by nodding to the seizure of their personal belongings when they travel to the bloc, the European Commission disclosed recently.

Items like cars, smartphones, and toiletries are prohibited for carriage by Russian travelers coming to the union.

 Among a slew of answers to the newly EU Commission-issued frequently asked questions concerning cars released on September 8, 2023, reads, "it is not relevant whether the goods are destined for the EU or not."

The sanction involves "vehicles having a Russian license plate and are registered in Russia," according to the commission's document. It further states, "the duration of their possible stay in the Union and respectively the customs procedures under which they will be placed is also not relevant."

These explanations surfaced due to several concerning trends involving German customs personnel and their seizure of private Russian cars upon entry into the country. This practice has been observed since at least July 2023.

In response, Russia accused Berlin of "vehicle theft" and warned its citizens against traveling to Germany in their cars. The German authorities, on their part, justified their actions, citing a 2014 sanctions policy imposed on Russia, and thereafter reinforced after the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2022. 

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the European Commission's explanations about the ban on entering the European Union with cars, phones, suitcases, shampoos and other items from Russia, even for personal use, racism.

"I believe that this is pure racism. It's not a part of the sanctions, it's not a matter of creating some additional benefits for the sinking EU economy either. This is racism at its finest," she said.