EU Angry at Russia’s Travel Ban, Yet Doesn’t Notice Its Own Sanction List

The European Union is quick to notice the mote in other’s eye, but doesn’t see the beam in its own.

After Moscow issues a travel ban for EU citizens, the West is furious. However, it is bizarre considering that a similar ban was compiled by both the United States and the EU last year; yet, nobody spoke about human rights, freedom of speech and expression, Czech Nova Republika reported.

Earlier, a source from the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that embassies of EU member states received a list of 89 politicians, diplomats and military experts banned from entering Russia.

The Foreign Ministry said the travel ban for EU citizens was done in response to the EU sanctions campaign. Brussels and Washington have imposed sanctions against several sectors of the Russian economy and certain high-profile officials, including travel bans, citing Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.

A few European politicians understood the logic behind the travel ban and refrained from screaming in hysteria. Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said the list was "over-dramatized," stressing that it was a logical response to the travel ban the EU has previously imposed. "It's a predictable reaction to the travel ban placed on Russian citizens. It's no big surprise," Soini noted.

The world is full of double-standards, especially when it comes to the actions of Western powers. There is no difference between the current situation in Eastern Ukraine and the conflict in Kosovo. The United States accused the government of Slobodan Milosevic for aggression towards Kosovars and consequently started bombing Serbia.

Now think about what's happening in Donbass. Why isn't NATO bombing Kiev for causing a humanitarian catastrophe, especially considering that the conflict in Donbass is much bigger in scale than the Kosovo conflict? Where are human rights now, Nova Republika asked?