Russia reciprocates US sanctions, bans Biden, others from country

Russia has banned US President Joe Biden and a dozen other top officials from setting foot in the country in response to US sanctions.

Russia’s foreign ministry made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday, saying the ban “is the consequence of the extremely Russophobic policy pursued by the current US administration”.

In response to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, the United States had banned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as well as adopting sanctions which have largely cut Russia off financially from the rest of the world.

On Russia’s stop list are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Also on the list are Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, US Agency for International Development chief Samantha Power, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, and US Export-Import Bank chief Reta Jo Lewis.

Russia also banned from entry Biden’s son Hunter and former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The foreign ministry warned Moscow will soon announce additional sanctions against a range of “Russophobic” US officials, military officers, lawmakers, businessmen, and media personalities.