MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. Russia permanently banned entry to 92 US nationals in response to the Russophobic policy of US President Joe Biden's administration, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ban applies to some reporters from the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and the New York Times, according to the statement.
"As a reaction to the Russophobic policy pursued by the Joe Biden administration with the stated goal of ‘inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow,’ an integral part of which were ‘blanket’ sanctions against Russian politicians, members of the business community, scientists and cultural figures, journalists and media organizations, entry to the Russian Federation is banned on a permanent basis for 92 US citizens," the ministry said.
"In addition to officials at the top and other levels in security agencies and special services, heads of key defense enterprises and financial institutions that supply arms to the Ukrainian armed forces and sponsor the regime in Kiev, the ‘stop list’ includes editorial staff and reporters of leading liberal-globalist publications involved in the production and dissemination of false stories about Russia and the Russian armed forces and propaganda that covers up the ‘hybrid war’ unleashed by Washington," the ministry went on to say.
Entry will be denied, for example, to some staff from the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and the New York Times.
"As a response to the insane sanctions frenzy of the American ruling elite, the practice of expanding the list of people under entry bans will be continued with determination and consistency by including those who are directly involved in anti-Russian activities," the ministry said. "We remind the current US authorities that punishment is inevitable for hostile acts, whether they directly encourage [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky and his sidekicks to commit acts of aggression and terrorist attacks or represent attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation."
Among the people that are banned from entering Russia are such ranking officials as Commander of the US Space Command Stephen Whiting, Commander of Space Systems Command Philip Garrant, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb. The reporters on the ban list include David Stern, Adam Taylor and Shane Harris of the Washington Post; Lara Jakes and Andrew Kramer of the New York Times; Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker and former bureau chief in Moscow Nathan Hodge.