Hollywood Actors Among 25 American Citizens Permanently Banned By Kremlin

On Monday, Russia announced it has permanently banned an additional 25 Americans from visiting the country, brining those who fall under the category of “closed” to over a thousand. Hollywood actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn, along with other public figures, are the most recent additions to the list.

Both Stiller and Penn traveled to Ukraine to meet with president Zelensky.

Newsmax reports:

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement announcing the bans also includes business people and high-ranking officials such as U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, a member of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council. 

The Kremlin said that the list was “in response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the Biden administration against Russian citizens.”

Although the Russian Foreign Ministry statement did not explain how the list of those to be banned was put together, Penn and Stiller have traveled to Ukraine and held meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the invasion, Fortune reported.

When Stiller visited in June, he said to the Ukrainian leader, “You’re my hero.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry statement revealed:

Statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the introduction of personal sanctions
against US citizens

In response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the G. Biden Administration against Russian citizens, against another group of persons from among members of the US Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures (25 people), a ban on entry into the Russian Federation on a permanent basis.

The following is a list of names of American citizens who are included in the Russian “stop list”, based on the principle of reciprocity:

1. Matthew S. Axelrod-Deputy Minister of Trade

2. Bruce Bodin- Senior Vice President, Mosaic

3. David Boyd Burritt- Executive Director of the metallurgical concern “U-ES steel”

4. Daniel P. Vadich- head of a lobbying firm “Yorktown Solutions”

5. Paul GOBL (Paul A. Goble)-Fellow at the World Policy Institute

6. Lorenco Gonsalves- President, Cleveland Cliffs Mining Company

7. Don Graves-Deputy Minister of Trade

8. Ryota Jonen- director of the World Movement for Democracy

9. Mark Kelly-Democratic Senator (Arizona)

10. Thea Kandler- Deputy Minister of Trade

11. Victoria Clement-head of a consulting company “Central Asia Insights”

12. Kevin Kramer-Republican Senator (North Dakota)

13. David Crain-Head of NGO “Global Accountability Network”

14. Jeremy Pelter-Deputy Minister of Trade

15. Sean Penn-actor, director , producer

16. Thomas Stuart Price Perriello- funds executive director “Open Society”

17. Gina Rainmondo- Minister of Commerce

18. Michael Rounds-Republican Senator (South Dakota)

19. John Serafini- senior company manager Hawkeye 360

20. Kirsten Cinema-Democratic Senator (Arizona)

21. Richard Scott-Republican Senator (Florida)

22. Stephen Starr-founder and chairman of the Institute of Central Asia and the Caucasus

23. Ben Stiller- actor, director, producer

24. Patrick Toomey, Jr.- Republican Senator (Pennsylvania)

25. Anthony Will- chemical company president C-F Industries

The hostile actions of the American authorities, which continue to follow a Russophobic course, destroying bilateral ties and escalating confrontation between Russia and the United States, will continue to be resolutely rebuffed.

A full list of US citizens who fall under the category of “closed” can be found here.