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Many new names have been added to the list in the three months since Russia launched its military operation against Ukraine, causing a downward spiral in relations with Washington.
Russia on Saturday banned the entry of 963 U.S. citizens in response to Washington's sanctions, the Foreign Ministry reported, while the wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also sanctioned in retaliation for the unilateral restrictions against Moscow.
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According to the statement, the list includes U.S. President Joe Biden; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray; among other senior U.S. officials.
"We insist that the unfriendly actions undertaken by Washington, which have repercussions on the United States itself, will continue to be duly rejected," the Russian Foreign Ministry text emphasized.
The list, a retaliation for U.S. sanctions against the Russian operation in Ukraine, also includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Party Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as other congressmen and senators, mostly from the Democratic Party, such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
Also included in the text is President Biden's son, Hunter, a former advisor to the Ukrainian gas company Burisma and accused by the Republican opposition of incurring in an alleged "conflict of interest" by carrying out these activities when his father was Vice-President of the United States.
Moscow Bans 963 US Citizens From Entering Russia as Countermeasure - Foreign Ministry https://t.co/yxuEbvPHHm
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In another statement, the ministry said that "in response to the sanctions announced by the Canadian government that affect not only senior officials, military and businessmen, but also their relatives (...) entry into Russia is prohibited for the similar circle of Canadian citizens."
The list of 26 names also includes Sophie Gregoire, Trudeau's wife.
The entity specified that the list includes the Canadian political and military leadership, their closest entourage and senior executives of companies linked to the Armed Forces.
Specifically, among those sanctioned are also Eric Jean Kenny, head of the Air Force; Angus Topshee, commander of the Navy; and Jocelyn (Joe) Paul, head of the Army.
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