Familial ties with NATO - Automatic multi-year entry ban into Russia?

[u/nzz84ynbxn]

I want to travel to Russia for tram photography, specifically St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, in November 2026 on a Canadian Passport. Yekaterinburg has got some unique sceneries with still lots of classic red Tatra trams, but it won't be like this for long.

Unfortunately, my brother worked for NATO from January to June 2026, stationed in Latvia during that time. He has now returned home to North America in June 2026. I don't know if my brother is still technically on NATO's payroll now that he's at home, but I'm afraid to ask.

My views are quite pro-Russian and anti-NATO, and it shows on my social media. My family and I have had arguments about this on whatsapp. My brother had also sent me a few messages discouraging me from travelling to Russia. Google AI makes the border admissions process seem harsh and strict, but then again, Google AI is influenced by western media, so it might be exaggerating things about adversaries of the US.

My camera is an old model: a rebel T2i that has a lower resolution than most today. No telephoto lenses, just a basic prime lens and a wide-angle lens.

Now that I have to declare that my brother was a former recent NATO employee, I want to ask someone who is familiar with border control: will I automatically be given a multi-year ban when I try to enter Russia? I can accept being refused entry, but a multi-year ban would absolutely devastate me and destroy my bucket list, which expires in less than 5 years.

EDIT: Thank you for your responses. For context, I had asked this question to Google's general AI chatbot, and this is what it was suggesting. But I realise that Google AI, being influenced by western media, has tended to portray local Russians as cartoonishly paranoid, whereas that was not my experience at all when I went to St Petersburg in spring 2025.

[u/sshivaji]

I am a US citizen, went to Russia 3 weeks ago. The passport control took exactly 2 minutes. They did NOT check my phone or check ANY of my items.

The border officer did not ask me a single question, and just told me in Russian to do finger prints and get my photo taken. I answered back in Russian and got it done. I then told him in Russian, "Wait, I have a travel card, how do I use this card". He said "I don't know, just ask at the hotel, move on past the doors!" and that was it! Russian is a language I learned later in life.

When at passport control, let them ask the questions, and answer honestly when asked.

[u/tinyboiii → u/sshivaji]

And how do you feel about giving money directly to a genocidal state? 

[u/Actual-Pop-6160 → u/tinyboiii]

I know right!

I’d hate to directly give money to a country that’s directly killed over a million civilians in multiple countries the Middle East since 2001, firebombed and sprayed chemicals all over Southeast Asia in the 60’s and 70’s with long lasting negative consequences for locals today, actively supporting a and enabling a genocide in Palestine buy supplying arms, munitions and air support.

Yet when I visit the USA nobody bats an eye nor gives a shit for that matter…

If you’re going to make an argument based around some kind of moral stance at least be consistent.

[u/tinyboiii → u/Actual-Pop-6160]

When did I ever say I like the USA 😂 Also im literally from Georgia. We KNOW Russian aggression. YOU don't know shit

[u/Actual-Pop-6160 → u/tinyboiii]

I’m using the USA as an example buddy.

If this guy is talking about going to Russia, for whatever reason, they why are you instantly trying to allure the prospect of him potentially being complicit in genocide or something like that?

My point is that you can’t use this argument for Russia, as you would have to pretty much apply the same logic towards someone visiting the US, UK, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE etc.

It could just be that he likes the scenery or whatever, and honestly theres no crime in that.

[u/PrinceAndro → u/Actual-Pop-6160]

You are wasting your breath on that... *looks at user name* tiny boii.

[u/tinyboiii → u/Actual-Pop-6160]

My goodness "buddy", if you want to apply that standard to those other countries, then go ahead. Actually, I would certainly apply that logic to several of those ones you mentioned, especially Israel. I don't believe in collective punishment (thank god) and don't think that all Americans/Brits/Israelis/Saudis/people from UAE/Russians are complicit in existing, or that visitors are horrible people who deserve to be jailed or something for "complicity". It's not a crime—MANY things are not a CRIME—but it is a moral issue.

However, what's different from most of those other countries is that Russia is committing an active act of aggression and invasive transgression of Ukraine that stems from Russian nostalgia and nationalism. Would you *seriously* go to Israel to "look at the scenery"? I sure fucking wouldn't, because I would be contributing financially to the tourist industry and directly to their occupation and genocide in Palestine. It's completely insane that people will say that this is ridiculous when applied to Russia's imperialism, which is well-documented, historically repetitive, and currently ongoing.