Former President Barack Obama has been banned from entering the Russia, Russia’s foreign ministry has announced.
The move is a response to Washington’s latest round of sanctions.
Besides Obama, Russia has also banned 500 U.S. citizens from the country.
As Reuters reported:
The ministry also said Russia had refused the latest U.S. request for consular access to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying.
This move was triggered by the U.S. refusal last month to give visas to media traveling with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the United Nations, it said in a statement.
“Washington should have learned a long time ago that not a single hostile attack on Russia will go unpunished,” it added.
Earlier on Friday, the United States announced punitive measures against more than 300 targets, aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and intensifying one of the harshest sanctions efforts ever implemented.
“Today’s actions will further tighten the vise on [Vladimir] Putin’s ability to wage his barbaric invasion and will advance our global efforts to cut off Russian attempts to evade sanctions,” the U.S. treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, said in a statement.
According to a report from the Guardian:
The treasury department said it imposed sanctions on 22 people and 104 entities with touchpoints in over 20 countries or jurisdictions, including companies that import, ship or manufacture electronics components, semiconductors and microelectronics to Russia.
The U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said Friday’s action targeted an international network that procures components for the Russia-based entity responsible for the manufacture of the Orlan drone, which Russian forces and their proxies are using in Ukraine.
WATCH: Obama Pines for the Old Days When Most People Believed the Media Narrative
