Morgan Freeman, Mark Zuckerberg, and other 963 prominent faces of America barred from entering Russia

• Image Credit: Internet

• May 25, 2022 | Poonam Nath

In the wake of the war with Ukraine, Russia released another list of Americans and Canadians who are prohibited from entering the country.

Digital Desk: As the country remains embroiled in a conflict with Ukraine, Russian authorities have published a list of US citizens who are not permitted to enter the country.

 There are 963 prominent Americans and 26 Canadians on the list this time.

Among the hundreds of prominent names on the updated list of Americans barred from entering the country are Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman, Facebook Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns.

Russia announced on Saturday that it had already barred 963 Americans from entering the country, including previously announced moves against President Joe Biden and other top officials, and that it would continue to retaliate against what it called hostile US actions.

The largely symbolic travel bans are part of a downward spiral in Russia's relations with the West since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which prompted Washington and its allies to impose harsh sanctions on Moscow and increase arms supplies to Ukraine.

The ministry published the entire list of banned Americans for the first time. It said, "We emphasize that the hostile actions taken by Washington, which boomerang against the United States itself, will continue to receive a proper rebuff."

This action is not limited to US citizens; the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that 26 Canadian nationals had been added to their list of prohibited persons due to their stance on the Ukraine crisis.

Defense chiefs, defense industry executives, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, are 26 Canadians barred from visiting Russia.

Russia had already barred Justin Trudeau, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and hundreds of other Canadians from entering the country in response to the sanctions.

Russia has barred Jocelyn Paul, Eric Kenny, and Angus Topshee. Last month, they named the new heads of the Canadian army, air force, navy, and executives from companies such as Lockheed Martin Canada and Raytheon Canada; and Justin Trudeau is also on the list barred from entering the country.

Also Read: Japan to contribute in smart city and 5G projects in India: Nobuhiro Endo