Russia on Thursday banned 29 American figures, including Meta chairman Mark Zuckerberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris, from entering its territory in response to sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine. In addition, 61 Canadian personalities, mostly government or military officials, are also targeted for this measure.
An indefinite time
These American and Canadian citizens “are banned from entering Russia indefinitely,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in two press releases, naming the individuals concerned.
On the American side, several government officials such as Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Pentagon spokesman John Kirby are being targeted. This is also true of several figures in finance, such as the head of the powerful Bank of America Brian Moynihan, and in the defense industry, such as Northrop Grumman head Kathy Warden.
Targeted Media
Eventually, several media personalities were also targeted, including George Stephanopoulos, co-host of ABC morning show Good Morning America, and David Ignatius, columnist for the Washington Post. Russian diplomacy says it has targeted these “journalists and experts” and accuses them of defending a “russophobic agenda”.
On the Canadian side, we find in particular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s communications director, Cameron Ahmad, and the commander of the special forces, Steve Boivin. Russia had previously sanctioned several hundred American and Canadian figures, including US President Joe Biden and Mr. Trudeau, in response to their countries’ punitive measures against Moscow.