Joe Biden, top US govt officials banned from entering Russia

Russia says it has put Joe Biden, United States President, Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister and a dozen top US officials on a “stop List” that bars them from entering Russia.

Alongside Biden, US officials on list included Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns and National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan.

The ban was in response to sanctions imposed by Washington on Russian officials, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was maintaining official relations and if necessary, would make sure that high level contacts with people on the list could take place.

Others on the list included Deputy National Security Advisor, Daleep Singh, US agency for International Development Chief, Samantha Power, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo and US Export Import Bank chief, Reta Jo Lewis.

Russia also banned from entry, Biden’s son Hunter, and former Secretary of State and democratic Presidential Candidate, Hilary Clinton.

The Foreign Ministry warned Moscow will soon announce additional sanctions against a range of “Russophobix” US officials, military officers, legislators, businessmen and media personalities.

earlier, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on four Russian individuals and one entity it accused of playing a role in concealing events around the death of whistle blower, Sergei Magnitsky, of being connected to human rights violations against rights advocate, Oyub Titiev.

The Treasury statement also imposed fresh sanctions on Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko abd his wife, increasing pressure on Moscow and its close ally.

“We condemn Russia’s attacks on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, and call on Russia to cease its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine,” the Head of the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Andrea Gacki, said in a statement.

Canada has also imposed sanctions on 15 Russian officials, who enabled and supported the war in Ukraine.