In retaliation for US sanctions, Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that US Vice President Joe Biden and a dozen other key officials had been barred from entering the country.
The move, which also affects Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, “is the result of the present US administration’s excessively Russophobic attitude,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
In reaction to Russia’s military participation in Ukraine, the US imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, effectively cutting Russia off from the rest of the world financially.
Russia has also placed Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Jake Sullivan, William Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, on its no-fly list.
Daleep Singh, the Deputy National Security Advisor, Samantha Power, the Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, and Reta Jo Lewis, the CEO of the US Export-Import Bank, are all on the list.
Hunter Biden, Biden’s son, and former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton were also barred from entering Russia.
List of those sanctioned by Russia
The list of those sanctioned by Russia include 12 current and former government officials, as well as Hunter Biden, Mr. Biden’s son. In addition, the Americans slapped with the penalties are:
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley
- White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan
- CIA Director Bill Burns
- White House press secretary Jen Psaki
- Deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh
- USAID Director Samantha Power
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo
- Export-Import Bank Chairman Reta Jo Lewis
To isolate Russia from the global financial system, the United States and its European allies have sanctioned the country’s main banks and the Central Bank of Russia, as well as taken steps to remove certain financial institutions from the SWIFT financial messaging system.
Last week, Mr. Biden declared that his administration will prohibit Russian oil and gas imports into the United States, a move that targets a vital section of Russia’s economy.