A travel ban on top U.S. officials including President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA head William Burns, will be implemented, Moscow announced Saturday.
The list of 639 published by Russian President Vladmir Putin also include Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman who banned from entering the country in retaliation for similar moves by Washington since the offensive in Ukraine.
The travel ban which only has a symbolic impact, form part of a constant downward spiral in Russia’s relations with the United States and its allies since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Others named in the list on the Russian foreign ministry’s website also include US government officials, lawmakers and other leading figures.
Moscow had already announced sanctions targeting many of those on the list.
On March 14, Putin imposed personal sanctions on 13 officials, including Biden, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin and Zuckerberg.
Freeman, who had not previously been named by Russian authorities, is accused by Moscow of having recorded a video in 2017 in which he claimed Russia was plotting against the US.
“The Russian counter-sanctions are necessary and aim to constrain the US which is trying to impose a neocolonial ‘world order’ on the rest of the planet… to change its position and recognise new geopolitical realities,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Russia said it had also banned 26 more Canadians, including Sophie Trudeau, the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister.
Moscow said at the time that more senior U.S. officials, military, lawmakers, businesspeople, experts and media personalities, “who are Russophobic or who contribute to inciting hatred against Russia and the imposing of restrictive measures on it,” could also face sanctions.
