As the war in Ukraine continues, Russia says it has imposed sanctions on a number of current and former US officials.
The list includes President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, CIA Director William Burns and, ironically, since she is out of office, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia announced sanctions on Twitter.
“In response to a series of unprecedented sanctions, including prohibiting entry into the United States for top Russian officials, which came into force on March 15 this year, the Russian “stop list” includes @JoeBiden, @SecBlinken and a number of other American figures. on the basis of reciprocity,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Since the invasion of Ukraine began last month, the United States and other countries have imposed tough sanctions on Russia. These measures have destroyed the country’s economy, and experts believe that Moscow may soon default on its debts.
The sanctions also specifically targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, freezing their assets and barring them from entering certain countries, including the United States.
The wording of Tuesday’s statement made it clear that Russian sanctions against US leaders, past and present, are intended as a response to these measures – “on the basis of reciprocity.”
However, as some experts point out, this reciprocity has its limits. While many Russian oligarchs are dependent on Western financial institutions, most Western officials do not experience the same dependence on Russia.
“Russia has imposed sanctions on Joe Biden and a number of other senior US officials,” said Max Seddon, Financial Times Moscow bureau chief. explained mockingly on Twitter. “The main consequence of this is that now they can joke on cable news that they can’t access their Russian bank accounts or go on vacation to Siberia, I think.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton seemed to take the news of her punishment well.
“I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award,” she said. tweeted.
The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.