Russia Declares Sanctions On Over 200 US Citizens For “Russophobia”

Russia took no time in denying entry to more than 200 US citizens including the State Department spokeswoman, Matthew Miller, a gesture that Moscow sees as the retaliatory measure that the United States took against Russian citizens who supported the Kremlin’s current full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On March 14, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow shared in a statement that over 227 Americans were sanctioned because “they are involved in outlining, implementing and explaining the current US administration’s Russophobic campaign as well as directly participating in anti-Russia actions.”

The ministry stated on the official website that the penalties target individuals who report anti-Russian activities and support the intentions of those who encourage ‘Russophobic’ views. The report shared the day ahead of the Russian presidential elections which will almost certainly extend Vladimir Putin’s tenure in the Kremlin for the next six years.

The current updated list, now standing at 2,078 names, incorporates officials of the executive branches of the United States plus journalists, businessmen, and academicians.

There are a few high-ranking officials on the list, including former US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, former US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, FBI agents Neill Somers and Aron Stekepeti, and some other people who were holding important posts in senior US agencies.

Some journalists of The New York Times and The Washington Post among others featured on the list as well as university professors from top US universities and the founder of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project were also enlisted.

The “stop list” also consists of employees from multiple U.S. organizations, such as Spacetech firm Maxar Technologies and one of the biggest defense contractors in the world Lockheed Martin. They both submit support to Ukraine in the current war with Russia.

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In addition, the new definition of undesirable in Russia will cover several non-governmental organizations supported by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that are engaged in recruiting ‘agents of influence.’ The main point of the expansion of Russia’s ‘stop list’ is to make Washington realize in its reflexes that any hostile actions will be responded to with serious consequences and thus a firm response.

The Russian foreign ministry has also cautioned against any “acts aimed at a violation of the internal affairs of the Russian Federation during this forthcoming election, where President Putin’s competitors face no real opposition.

The relations between Russia with the U.S. have reached a low point since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The US and its associated countries imposed harsh sanctions against Russia and Moscow has done the same.