Some of the “500 Americans” Russia has banned from entering the country are former President Barack Obama, late-night TV host Stephen Colbert, and CNN’s Erin Burnett.
A statement from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Russia would not let “500 Americans” into the country, including many high-ranking US government officials. This was “in response to the regular anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the Joe Biden administration.”
On the list are Obama, former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman, a number of US senators, and Charles Q. Brown Jr., who will likely be the joint chiefs’ next chairman.
American late-night TV stars Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert, and Seth Meyers are also on the list of names that is hard to follow.
Here is a tweet of Russia bans 500 Americans from entry:
Russia bans 500 Americans from entry, from politicians to celebrities https://t.co/FsjRv8zEmg
— 7 News WKBW (@WKBW) May 20, 2023
The statement also said, “The attached “list-500” also includes those in government and law enforcement who are directly involved in the persecution of dissenters after “Storming the Capitol.” On January 6, 2021, a large group of former US President Donald Trump fans attacked the US Capitol to stop Biden from becoming president.
A few months later, Reuters said Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to question why the rioters were arrested. He said the people had come to Congress “with political demands.”
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On Friday’s list, CNN Anchor Erin Burnett is also included. This is an update to a longer list of sanctioned people released before, including CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, Senior Global Affairs Analyst Bianna Golodryga, and CNN writer Timothy Naftali.
The bans were explained by a statement on the ministry’s website: “It is high time for Washington to learn that no hostile attack against Russia will go unanswered by a strong response.”
It didn’t say what each person was accused of or the punishments besides being banned from entering the county.
Also, the ministry said it continues to turn down a request from the US embassy to give Evan Gershkovich access to consular services “due to the failure to issue visas to Russian journalists from the Lavrov pool.” This seems to reference Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to the US in April.