President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky considers visa restrictions for Russian citizens in Europe to be fair.

"We all understand that there are people who really need protection, who are persecuted in Russia, who can even be killed, which means they should get help from the civilized world," he said in a traditional video message on Friday evening.

According to him, "these are well-known legal mechanisms – through refugee, through the application for asylum, through other opportunities to help and support."

"But this is for those who fight, for those who are persecuted. And this should not apply to the rest of Russian citizens in Europe, tourism, entertainment, business trips. It is impossible to work for a terrorist state," Zelensky said.

"Firstly, there must be a guarantee that Russian assassins and state terror aids will not use the Schengen. And secondly, you can't destroy the very idea of Europe, our common European values, that is, you can't turn Europe into a supermarket where it doesn't matter who comes in – the main thing is that a person simply pays for the goods," he said.

"Therefore, visa restrictions for citizens of the Russian Federation are fair and all defenders of European values should insist on them," he said.