In retaliation for the sanctions imposed by the Biden administration, Russia announced on Friday that it has banned the entry of 500 Americans, including former President Barack Obama.
The Russian foreign ministry stated, “In response to the anti-Russian sanctions regularly imposed by the Biden administration… entry into the Russian Federation is closed for 500 Americans,” noting that Obama was among the individuals on the list.
The United States expanded its sanctions blacklist on Friday, targeting hundreds more companies and individuals as part of its efforts to put economic pressure on Russia in response to the Ukraine offensive, Reuters reported.
The Russian foreign ministry emphasized, “Washington should have learned a long time ago that not a single hostile step against Russia will be left unanswered.”
The list of banned individuals includes television hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers, as well as CNN anchor Erin Burnett and MSNBC presenters Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough. Russia stated that senators, congressmen, and think tank members “involved in the spread of Russophobic attitudes and fakes,” as well as heads of companies that “supply weapons to Ukraine,” were also blacklisted.
Additionally, Russia mentioned that it has denied a consular visit to detained US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on charges of spying. This refusal was prompted by Washington’s refusal to issue visas to journalists traveling with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the United Nations in April.
