OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
If former President Obama and around 500 other Americans were planning on summering in Russia they are going to have to change their plans.
The Russian foreign ministry issued a list of 500 Americans barred from entering the nation, including former President Obama, late night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers along with former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman, CNN host Erin Burnett and a list of senators that included Sens. J.D. Vance, Katie Britt and Eric Schmitt, CNN reported.
“The attached ‘list-500’ also includes those in government and law enforcement agencies who are directly involved in the persecution of dissidents in the wake of the so-called Storming the Capitol,” it said.
On its website it said, “It is high time for Washington to learn that not a single hostile attack against Russia will go without a strong reaction.”
“In addition, the ministry said it is continuing to deny a US embassy request for consular access to American journalist Evan Gershkovich ‘due to the failure to issue visas to Russian journalists from the Lavrov pool,’ in apparent reference to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to the United States in April,” CNN reported.
On Friday the State Department announced new sanctions against Russia on its website.
“In coordination with the G7, Australia, and other partners, the United States is imposing new sanctions today on Russia for its illegal war in Ukraine. Today’s actions implement new commitments made at the G7 Leaders’ Summit and demonstrate our shared resolve to hold Russia accountable for its mounting atrocities in Ukraine. These sanctions also reinforce the commitment the United States and its partners have made to taking action against those who aid the Kremlin in Ukraine by circumventing our sanctions and export control measures,” the State Department said.
“As part of these actions, the Department of State is imposing sanctions on or identifying as blocked property over 200 entities, individuals, vessels, and aircraft. Today’s actions include designations of targets across Russia’s defense and related materiel, technology, and metals and mining sectors. Our actions also include the designation of entities and individuals involved in expanding Russia’s future energy production and capacity. And we are continuing to target entities and individuals that have engaged in the systematic and unlawful deportation of Ukraine’s children and the theft and transportation of stolen grain from Ukraine,” it said.
“Today’s actions also include designations of an international network of entities engaged in the procurement of components for the Russia-based entity responsible for the manufacture of the Orlan drone, which Russian forces are currently employing in their illegal war against Ukraine, and the Russia-installed puppet authorities in parts of Ukraine’s territory,” the State Department said.
“We are taking these steps in coordination with further sanctions being imposed by the Department of the Treasury today and additional export control measures announced by the Department of Commerce. The United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” it said.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz spoke this week about the war between Ukraine and Russia and accused President Joe Biden of funding both sides of the war during a speech at the Hudson Institute.
“I don’t doubt that many people in the Biden administration want Ukraine to win this war. But even more so, they want to enter another nuclear deal with Iran. Those two interests are in direct conflict. And although Democrats now ostentatiously wear their Ukrainian pins on their lapels, the administration repeatedly declined to provide the lethal weaponry to enable Ukraine to prevail in the war, and simultaneously has been funding both sides of the war, has been flooding billions of dollars into Iran that goes into drones that the Russians use to kill Ukrainians,” the senator said.
“This is madness. … When it comes to the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration, with the active complicity and energetic silence of the corporate media is vigorously funding both sides of the war. The American people are losing faith that the battle is worth their time and treasure. And as long as the Biden administration fuels both sides of it, the American people can be understood to doubt why it is in America’s interest. If you want to see Russia lose in Ukraine, if you want to see Putin lose in Ukraine, and I do, one of the most important steps we can take to do that is to stop – to eliminate – the Russia-Iran cooperation that is producing the drones that are murdering Ukrainian soldiers. We’ve got to stop Joe Biden from … supporting both sides of the war in Ukraine,” he said.
