The EU celebrated unanimity in their latest bid to punish Russia for invading Ukraine. Russian tourists will have to pay a surcharge of 1 euro each when visiting EU beaches. The EU had wanted to ban Russian tourists completely but Turkish President Erdogan wouldn’t agree. The additional 1-euro surcharge was a compromise.
An EU source said “This will hurt them in the pocket and hopefully wipe the smirk off those Russkie tourists waving flags of Russia and grinning in triumph at all the people they've killed."
The levy won't apply to online applications for towels, since Russians can easily disguise their nationality by using anonymous servers.
Oligarchs are said to be furious at the extra expense, which, on a family of 6 (mother, father, two children and two Spetsnaz bodyguards) could run into an extra 84 euros for a 14-day holiday or a staggering 168 euros if they go to the beach twice a day.
The Kremlin put out a warning to the West after the charge was announced, which said “We’ll get you for this.”
Meanwhile, the President of France denied that the sensitive material about him found by the FBI in Donald Trump’s safe was being used by the Russians to blackmail him, adding “I’ve got to go now, Mr Putin’s on the other line and doesn’t like to be kept waiting”.
