Moscow – Russia has permanently banned 398 members of the House of Representatives from the United States Congress from today, the country’s State Department said.
According to a statement released last night, the measure comes in response to sanctions announced by Washington on March 24 against 328 members of Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament), who, including lawmakers included in a previous blacklist, make up virtually the entire composition.
The new US Congress sanctions, plus those previously appearing in another list, complete the total of all lawmakers in this North American nation who have been punished by Moscow in a reciprocal regime, the local State Department said.
“Given the continued sanctions by the United States, further announcements of Russian countermeasures, including expansion of the number of people on the exclusion list and other retaliatory measures, are expected in the near future,” the text warned.
Russia began a military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics requested help to repel rising aggression and intense bombing in Kiev.
Previously, Moscow had recognized the independence and sovereignty of both territories and signed treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders, which included the establishment of diplomatic relations and military assistance.
Since the military action against Kyiv began, the country has faced a variety of sanctions from the United States and other western nations targeting key sectors of the economy, trade and finance.
It also included expelling more than 300 Russian diplomats from various countries and banning high-ranking officials, lawmakers and politicians from many of those countries.