As the country remains embroiled in a war with Ukraine, the Russian authorities have once again published a list of United States citizens who are not allowed to enter the country. This time, the list includes 963 prominent Americans and 26 Canadians.
According to the updated list of Americans banned from the country, Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA chief William Burns are among the hundreds of prominent names.
Russia said on Saturday it had so far banned 963 Americans from entering the country – including previously announced moves against President Joe Biden and other top officials – and would continue to retaliate against what it called hostile U.S. actions.
The largely symbolic travel bans form part of a downward spiral in Russia’s relations with the West since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Washington and its allies to impose drastic sanctions on Moscow and step up arms supplies to Ukraine.
This action has not just been limited to US citizens, but the Russian Foreign Ministry notified that 26 Canadian nationals have also been added to the list of banned persons in the country, in view of their stand on the Ukraine crisis.
The 26 Canadian citizens banned from travelling to Russia include defence chiefs, defence industry executives and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Publishing the full list of banned Americans for the first time, the ministry said: “We emphasize that the hostile actions taken by Washington, which boomerang against the United States itself, will continue to receive a proper rebuff.”
In response to sanctions, Russia had already banned Justin Trudeau, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and hundreds of other Canadians from entering the country.
In the new and updated list of banned Canadians, Russia has barred Jocelyn Paul, Eric Kenny and Angus Topshee, who was named last month as the new heads of the Canadian army, air force and navy, and executives of companies including Lockheed Martin Canada and Raytheon Canada, as well as Justin Trudeau.
(With Reuters inputs)
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