Russia imposes sanctions on dozens of U.S. and Canadian citizens

Russia blacklisted 29 U.S. citizens including top officials, businessmen, experts and reporters, as well as spouses of high-ranking U.S. officials, Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

"In response to constantly expanding U.S. sanctions that Joe Biden’s administration subjects more and more Russian people to - officials, their family members, as well as businessmen, scientists and artists - a total of 29 Americans including top officials, businessmen, experts and reporters forming Russophobic agenda, as well as spouses of a number of high-ranking officials, are being blacklists," the Ministry said in its statement.

The blacklisted people include U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Meta [deemed extremist in Russia] CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

"Another announcement about a new expansion of the Russian blacklist will follow shortly, as part of countermeasures to U.S. hostile actions," the Ministry said.

Moscow has also put on its stop-list 61 Canadian citizens for their involvement in developing, providing reasons for and implementing the Canadian authorities’ Russophobic policies. The list includes top government and military officials as well as representatives of the leading mass media.

"The listed persons (61), among them top government officials, active duty and retired military officers, members of the expert community and the leading mass media, directly involved in formulating, providing grounds for and implementing the Canadian ruling regime’s Russophobic policies are prohibited from entering Russia for life," the Foreign Ministry said.

Russia took this step "in retaliation for the anti-Russian sanctions, being systematically introduced by the authorities in Ottawa, including bans on entering Canada and other discriminatory measures against Russian officials, military officers, experts and journalists."