The Russian Government has announced that it has imposed new sanctions on the United States President Joe Biden, as the latter plans to visit Europe to meet NATO allies.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
Russia placed sanctions on Biden, Biden’s son Hunter, Hillary Clinton and White House press secretary Jen Psaki, banning them from entering Russia.
What Russia is saying about sanctions
Russian Foreign Ministry stated its sanctions would ban US president Joe Biden and secretary of state Antony Blinken from entering the world’s largest nation.
This comes as a response of sanctions placed on Putin and Russian oligarchs by the West.
They added that on a basis of reciprocity, others sanctioned include, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden’s son Hunter, Hillary Clinton, CIA Chief William Burns. They added that there would still be manoeuvres for communication.
It stated, “We do not refuse to maintain formal relations if they meet our national interests, and if necessary, we will solve problems arising from the status of persons who appear on the black list in order to organise high-level contacts.
“In the near future, new announcements will follow to expand the sanctions list by including top US officials, military, legislators, businessmen, experts and media people who are Russophobic or who contribute to inciting hatred against Russia and the introduction of restrictive measures.”
What you should know about Biden’s visit
- Next week, President Biden is expected to meet with world leaders and discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
- The President will travel to Brussels, Belgium, to participate in a NATO summit on March 24 and will also join a European Council meeting, Psaki told reporters at a White House briefing.
- The trip, which will be one of the most closely watched visits to Europe by an American president in decades, comes weeks after Russia launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Biden will “discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts,” during the NATO summit and reaffirm the US’ commitment to its NATO allies, Psaki said.
- “He will also join a scheduled European Council summit to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including trans-Atlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict,” she said.
- Psaki noted the President is a “big believer in face-to-face diplomacy,” and his goal is to meet with European counterparts in person to discuss “where we are at this point” with regard to the invasion.