The Russian Foreign Ministry sanctioned a number of high-ranking American officials on Tuesday, including President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, press secretary Jen Psaki, and CIA Director William Burns.
CBS News reports, “U.S. officials hit with penalties by Russia are prohibited from entering the country and any assets they hold there are frozen, the ministry said, but the measures do not hinder high-level contacts if needed.”
“The foreign ministry also said it was banning Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from entering Russia, as well as Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Minister of National Defense Anita Anand,” reports The Wall Street Journal.
The sanctions are primarily a symbolic response to America’s relentless economic campaign against Vladimir Putin’s government, including a ban on the import of Russian oil and gas. In addition, key Russian financial institutions have been cut off from the SWIFT messaging system and the Western assets of several Putin-backed oligarchs have been frozen or seized. Russian officials have also been barred from entering the U.S.
The majority of the Americans sanctioned by Russia on Tuesday are part of the U.S. government. But former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the president’s son, Hunter Biden, were also among those targeted. Besides holdovers, no Trump administration officials were sanctioned.
Clinton’s inclusion on the list is consistent with Russia’s trollish attitude toward her. It also prompted our quote of the day:
I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hillary Clinton
Russia says it will sanction more Americans in the days ahead, including “top US officials, military officials, lawmakers, businessmen, experts, and media people who are Russophobic or contribute to inciting hatred towards Russia and the introduction of restrictive measures.”
