Webdesk: Russia has banned “500 Americans,” including former US President Barack Obama, Stephen Colbert, and CNN journalist Erin Burnett. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the ban in reaction to Joe Biden’s anti-Russian sanctions.
Obama, former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman, several lawmakers, and future joint chiefs chairman Charles Q. Brown Jr. are on the list. Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert, and Seth Meyers also appear.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcement says the ban includes government and law enforcement officials. These includes who persecuted dissidents after the January 6, 2021 US Capitol storming. Many supporters of former US President Donald Trump tried to stop Joe Biden’s certification.
Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned the detention of the rioters, indicating they had come to Congress with political demands. Russia’s ban on the “500 Americans” appears to be a retaliation to these events and the US government’s actions.
While, Erin Burnett, CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, Senior Global Affairs Analyst Bianna Golodryga, and CNN contributor Timothy Naftali were all sanctioned on Friday. The list was named “500 Americans,” but Paton Walsh is British.
Moreover, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified the prohibitions by saying Washington should realise that aggressive measures against Russia will be met with a robust response. The statement did not list individual complaints or explain the punishments beyond the entry prohibition.
The ministry also denied a US embassy request for consular access to American journalist Evan Gershkovich, citing the failure to give visas to Lavrov pool journalists. In April, Sergey Lavrov visited the US.
The “500 Americans” ban is Russia’s response to perceived anti-Russian sanctions and the US Capitol storming. The list’s only effect is a ban on visiting Russia, and relations between the two countries remain strained.
