A New Iron Curtain? Russia Warns Against Travel to West Amid Rising Isolation
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson cautioned Russians about “serious risks” abroad, but experts say her words have little to do with any actual change in policy
On Wednesday, Russia cautioned its citizens against traveling to the United States, Canada, and certain European Union countries, claiming they could face significant risks, including being “hunted” by US authorities.
Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova issued the warning, saying that relations between Russia and the United States were at a precipice.
In the context of the increasing confrontation in Russian-American relations, which are teetering on the verge of rupture due to the fault of Washington, trips to the United States of America privately or out of official necessity are fraught with serious risks.
“In the context of the increasing confrontation in Russian-American relations, which are teetering on the verge of rupture due to the fault of Washington, trips to the United States of America privately or out of official necessity are fraught with serious risks,” Zakharova said during a press briefing.
She urged against holiday trips to the US, Canada, and EU states “with a few exceptions.”
While such statements are a regular feature of Russia’s anti-Western propaganda, Zakharova’s timing raises questions, particularly with President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration set to take office soon. Experts who spoke to The Media Line offered insights about which threats Zakharova was referring to and how the declaration could influence the already tense relationship between Russia and the West.
Zakharova’s rhetoric is nothing new or surprising. It’s entirely in line with Russian anti-Western propaganda. Her comments are aimed at a loyal audience already predisposed to anti-Western views. These are people who genuinely believe that Russians traveling to the US or Canada are spies or traitors. For them, this rhetoric is familiar, almost nostalgic, from Soviet times, reinforcing the idea that the West is full of enemies.
“Zakharova’s rhetoric is nothing new or surprising. It’s entirely in line with Russian anti-Western propaganda,” Fedor Krasheninnikov, a Russian opposition political analyst now based in Belgium, told The Media Line. “Her comments are aimed at a loyal audience already predisposed to anti-Western views. These are people who genuinely believe that Russians traveling to the US or Canada are spies or traitors. For them, this rhetoric is familiar, almost nostalgic, from Soviet times, reinforcing the idea that the West is full of enemies.”
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For Russians who are more skeptical of the government, the warning serves to intimidate, Krasheninnikov said. “According to the Russian government, if you travel to the West for personal reasons, you could be recruited by foreign intelligence. I’ve heard of cases where, at Russian border checkpoints, officials scrutinize passports for old visas to the US, UK, or Canada and interrogate travelers about why they went, who paid for the trips, and what they did there. This systematic intimidation serves as psychological pressure, warning citizens that any contact with the West could have consequences,” he explained.
The narrative is, ‘They’re persecuting our people there, so we’re doing the same here.’ I think this is the main motivation. Russian authorities attribute to the West the very practices they themselves employ.
Another rationale for the warning is to provide cover for the arrests of foreigners visiting Russia, Krasheninnikov explained. “The narrative is, ‘They’re persecuting our people there, so we’re doing the same here,’” he said. “I think this is the main motivation. Russian authorities attribute to the West the very practices they themselves employ.”
Krasheninnikov said that Russia requires very low standards of evidence to arrest foreigners compared to Western countries.
To my knowledge, there haven’t been cases where Western countries randomly detained visiting Russians and accused them of espionage without evidence. On the contrary, when Russians have been detained in the West, it’s usually clear they were involved in intelligence activities, not ordinary tourism. In Russia, however, there have been numerous cases where US, Canadian, British, or German citizens traveling for personal reasons were arrested on dubious charges and later used in prisoner exchanges
“To my knowledge, there haven’t been cases where Western countries randomly detained visiting Russians and accused them of espionage without evidence,” he said. “On the contrary, when Russians have been detained in the West, it’s usually clear they were involved in intelligence activities, not ordinary tourism. In Russia, however, there have been numerous cases where US, Canadian, British, or German citizens traveling for personal reasons were arrested on dubious charges and later used in prisoner exchanges.”
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t shy away from taking hostages and using them as bargaining chips.”
Nikolai Topornin, a Russian expert in international relations and geopolitics, told The Media Line that many Russians are barred from traveling abroad to any country. “This isn’t just about ordinary citizens; these travel restrictions are deeply entrenched in the structure of state and security organizations,” he said, noting that many state employees and government officials are required to hand over their passports.
He said that Zakharova’s comments likely don’t reflect a change in policy brought on by the incoming Trump administration. “It’s more a reflection of her own sentiments—perhaps her America-phobia or NATO-phobia. This general aversion to the West is pervasive in the media now,” he said.
“The government’s policy hasn’t changed in any meaningful way,” Topornin continued. “For a shift to happen, President Putin would have to personally give the order, but he remains silent.”
He noted that Zakharova, who is nearing Putin’s inner circle, often makes statements on her own behalf that are framed as part of an official stance. “No one ever corrects her,” he said.
Regardless of whether Zakharova’s statements convey a change in policy, most Russians are de facto cut off from the West, Krasheninnikov said.
It’s largely economic. In Soviet times, people couldn’t travel abroad partly because it was prohibitively expensive. Today, leaving Russia is again incredibly costly.
“It’s largely economic. In Soviet times, people couldn’t travel abroad partly because it was prohibitively expensive. Today, leaving Russia is again incredibly costly,” he explained. “Flights are limited to routes through Moscow, Istanbul, or Dubai, and ticket prices are astronomical. On top of that, restrictions on credit cards and the difficulty of obtaining visas add further barriers. As a result, traveling abroad is now accessible only to a very small, wealthy segment of the population.”
The difficulties of traveling abroad have resulted in isolation for Russian citizens, Krasheninnikov explained. “Unlike Ukrainians or Belarusians, who could previously travel to Europe cheaply and easily, Russians are geographically and financially isolated,” he said. “For instance, if you live in Yekaterinburg, you can’t take a bus to Europe. You need to fly, and those flights are extremely expensive. The Iron Curtain may not be official, but it’s very real in practice.”
