Illustrative photo from open sources
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, August 28, that it is banning entry into Russia for 92 US citizens, including journalists, lawyers, and heads of key military-industrial companies.
The move is justified by Washington's “Russophobic position,” Voice of America reports.
The war in Ukraine has sparked the most serious crisis in relations between Moscow and the United States since the Cold War. On Tuesday, August 27, Russia said the West was “playing with fire” by considering allowing Ukraine to fire Western missiles deep into Russian territory.
The list, published by the ministry on Telegram, included employees of American periodicals: five journalists from The New York Times, 14 current and former employees of The Wall Street Journal, including editor-in-chief Emma Tucker, and four reporters from The Washington Post. Sanctions were also imposed on two journalists from British publications, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian.
The list includes US Deputy Treasury Secretary Anna Morris, Deputy Defense Secretary John Plumb, Deputy Director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control Lisa Palluconi, Head of the US Space Command Stephen Whiting, State Department spokesman Daniel Sysak, prosecutors and deputy prosecutors in several states, as well as some professors at American universities.
According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the bans were a response to the Biden administration's “Russophobic course,” a key part of which was large-scale sanctions against Russian politicians, businessmen, and journalists.
On August 23, the United States announced sanctions against 400 individuals and legal entities, including structures of the Mechel and Norilsk Nickel companies, “for supporting Russia's military efforts in Ukraine.”
Among those included in the sanctions list by the Russian Foreign Ministry is Casey Michel, director of the Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Defense Foundation. At the request of Matthew Kupfer, a correspondent for the Russian Service of the Voice of America, he commented on the actions of the Russian authorities.
“It is a great honor for me to finally be on this list among other respected people, journalists, scientists and academics, pro-democratic voices in Russia and outside of Russia,” Michel said. It is a great honor – to know that my work has been recognized in the Kremlin.”.
The director of the anti-kleptocracy program also drew attention to another side of the problem: how such lists are compiled.
“Why did it take so long (to include Casey Michel in the sanctions list)? I would like to think that I could have been included in an earlier list for my work,” Michel explained. “However, I will not complain.”.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga