Russia's Foreign Ministry has recently expanded its list of Americans banned from entering the country, adding 92 individuals to the roster. The ban encompasses a diverse group of people, including journalists, law enforcement officials, academics, and business figures.
The Foreign Ministry cited the Biden administration's perceived 'Russophobic course' as the reason behind the ban, accusing the U.S. of seeking to 'inflict a strategic defeat on Moscow.' Specifically, the ministry pointed to the banned journalists as representatives of 'leading liberal-globalist publications' that allegedly produce and spread misinformation, or 'fakes,' about Russia and its armed forces.
Among the newly banned Americans are 11 current or former staff members of the Wall Street Journal, including the editor who had criticized Russia over the arrest and conviction of one of the newspaper's reporters on espionage charges. The ban also extends to journalists from The New York Times and The Washington Post, as well as individuals from law enforcement agencies, academia, and various think tanks.
This latest move brings the total number of Americans banned from entering Russia to over 2,000, according to the Foreign Ministry's list. The ongoing tit-for-tat measures between the two countries underscore the strained relations and deepening tensions between Moscow and Washington.