Russia has released a list of 963 U.S. government officials and leaders who have been barred from entering the country in retaliation for similar measures by Washington since the start of the Russian occupation of Ukraine.
The published list includes US President Joe Biden and business leaders such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.
Also on the list is Jamie Fly, president of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, along with several members and former board members who oversee REL.
Names from the Biden administration, such as the US Vice President Kamala Harris, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, have also been mentioned in this symbolic action of Russia.
Russia has also banned three former senators who have died: John McCain, Harry Reid and Orrin Hatch.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision was a response to “anti-Russian sanctions” and aimed to limit the US, which is trying to enforce “a neocolonial world rule”.
The document says Moscow remains open to “sincere dialogue” and distinguishes between the American people and authorities who have said they are “Russophobic.”
The Russian ministry has also banned 26 Canadians, including Sophie Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.