Russia has barred 92 American citizens from entering the country, including journalists from major U.S. publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
What Happened: The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the ban is a response to the “Russophobic policy” pursued by President Joe Biden‘s administration. The ministry accused these individuals of spreading false information about Russia and its armed forces.
“The stop list also includes employees of editorial offices and reporters from leading liberal globalist media outlets involved in manufacturing and spreading fake claims about Russia and its armed forces, and engaged in using propaganda to cover Washington's hybrid war,” the Russian ministry said.
Among those banned are Emma Tucker, editor-in-chief of WSJ, and Nathan Hodge, a senior editor at CNN and former Moscow bureau chief for WSJ. The list also includes American government officials and several academics from institutions like Harvard University and the University of Virginia.
The ministry warned that the ban list might be expanded in the future. They also criticized the U.S. for its broad sanctions against Russian figures, calling it an “outlandish sanction frenzy.”
Why It Matters: The ban comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia. On Sunday, the Biden administration expanded its trade restrictions, adding 105 Russian and Chinese firms to the list for their alleged support to the Russian military in its conflict with Ukraine.
The list includes 63 Russian and 42 Chinese companies, targeted for various reasons, including supplying U.S. electronics to Russian military entities and producing drones for Russia's use in Ukraine.
The ban follows a significant prisoner exchange on Aug. 1, where Russia released WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. This exchange, which also saw the release of Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, was a rare moment of cooperation between the two nations.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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