Russia announced on April 13 that it had imposed sanctions on nearly 400 members of U.S. Congress in retaliation for a similar move by Washington against more than 300 Russian lawmakers last month.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the “mirror sanctions” against 398 lawmakers include “the leadership and committee chairmen of the lower house of U.S. Congress.”
The announcement comes in response to sanctions against 328 members of the 450-seat Russian State Duma, or lower house of parliament, on March 24. The United States put the sanctions in place following the ongoing war in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation.
The move blocked all property the 328 lawmakers held in the United States and banned them from any dealings with U.S. citizens.
“New announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future,” Moscow said in the statement, noting that more Americans would be added to the sanctioned list and other “retaliatory steps” in what Moscow calls a “stop list.”
Lawmakers who have been critical of Ukraine, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.), are included on the Kremlins’ stop list. Members of Congress who aren’t included on the list despite being vocal critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin include Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
In addition, the ministry noted that other lawmakers, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), have already been banned from traveling to Russia and that more Americans will be added to its travel ban list in the near future.
Russia didn’t target only U.S. lawmakers in its latest move. It also imposed tit-for-tat sanctions on 87 Canadian senators and will add others on an international level to its stop list in the future.
Canada announced in February that it was adding 351 members of the 450-seat Russian State Duma to its sanctions list.
The ministry said the latest wave of sanctions would mirror punitive measures imposed by the United States, but Moscow gave few details apart from saying all those on the list would be barred from visiting Russia.
Russia’s stop list also includes Biden’s son Hunter Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
