'Retaliatory visa measures': Russia set to restrict entry of nationals from 'unfriendly' countries

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the Putin regime is preparing restrictions on entry from "unfriendly" states amid the Ukraine war.

"A draft presidential decree is being developed on retaliatory visa measures in response to the "unfriendly"actions of a number of foreign states," Lavrov said, adding, "This act will introduce a number of restrictions on entry into Russia."

The foreign ministry earlier on Monday had declared it is expelling three Slovakian diplomats after the country expelled three Russian diplomats for espionage earlier this month. Slovakia has taken in several thousand refugees from Ukraine after Russia's invasion.

Amid efforts to resume peace talks in Istanbul, Russia's foreign ministry declared that direct talks between President Putin and Ukraine President Zelensky would be "counterproductive".

Watch:A soldier from US talks about change in Ukraine army

The Russian president had last met Zelensky during talks in 2019 in Paris. Lavrov insisted that "demilitarisation and the denazification of Ukraine" was an essential component while also demanding that Ukraine should "stop assimilating itself with the West, with NATO, in the military sense".

"Stop being a country that is continually being militarised and where they try to deploy offensive weapons threatening Russia," Lavrov said pointing at Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the exodus of top companies from Russia continued as beer makers Heineken and Carlsberg announced their exit from the country, other top brands including Ikea, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs and McDonald's havealready decided to pull out from the country.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened to watch the war in Ukraine continue to unfold and intensify," Heineken said, adding,"We have concluded that Heineken's ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment."

(With inputs from Agencies)