The Russian Embassy in Paris announced the blocking of bank cards for fuel payments.

The bank cards of the Russian Embassy in Paris for fuel payments have been blocked, which is a precedent violating the Vienna Convention. This was announced on May 1 by Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov.

"As for the problems with the accounts, this story is almost permanent… For example, now, at the suggestion of a Belgian bank, not a French one, we, the embassy, have had our gasoline payment cards blocked, which is a violation of both the Vienna Convention and the same sanctions standards that the European Union accepts," he told RIA Novosti.

The diplomat noted that against the background of high fuel prices in Europe, the incident was a "significant blow." The Russian Embassy also faced a financial transaction block when trying to pay for gasoline through a French bank.

"This is the precedent of just this week, because before that, even starting in 2022, there had never been any problems from this point of view," said Meshkov.

The window was closed: The European Commission banned issuing multiple-entry visas to Russians

The EU authorities have linked this measure to improving the security of the Schengen area.

Earlier in the day, the diplomat also warned that every Russian citizen should assess all possible risks, including potential threats from Europol, before traveling to France. For this reason, he urged Russians to be extremely careful.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council, said at a plenary session of the All-Russian IFC Forum on January 28 that Russians complain that it is impossible to live in European countries because of queues and payments.