US and Western Media Journalists, Defense Industry Representatives Sanctioned
Russian Foreign Ministry: "Response to Russia-Hate Policies"
Russian authorities have announced permanent entry bans on 92 individuals, including journalists from major U.S. daily newspapers and Western media, as well as representatives of defense companies. The Russian government stated that this is a response to the United States' anti-Russia policies. The list of sanctioned individuals by Russia is expected to expand further. On the surface, this appears to be a backlash against ongoing U.S. and Western sanctions on Russia, but it is interpreted as a diplomatic pressure tactic against the U.S. and the West amid continued Ukrainian attacks on Russian mainland territory.
Guardian Political Cartoonist Also Banned from Entry... "Countermeasure to Anti-Russia Sanctions"
According to TASS news agency on the 28th (local time), the Russian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that it has permanently banned 92 U.S. citizens, including journalists affiliated with American and Western media, members of defense companies, scientists, and scholars, from entering Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized, "The 92 individuals banned from entry include editors and journalists of major liberal-globalist publications who spread various fake news inciting hatred against Russia, conceal and propagate the U.S.'s hybrid warfare."
The list of those permanently banned from entering Russia includes five New York Times (NYT) journalists, 14 editors and reporters from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), four Washington Post (WP) journalists, and journalists from other major U.S. daily newspapers. It is also reported that a political cartoonist from the British Guardian newspaper is included in the entry ban list.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated, "We remind U.S. authorities that punishment is inevitable for hostile actions such as directly inciting Zelensky and his associates to commit acts of aggression and terrorist attacks, or attempts to interfere in Russia's internal affairs," adding, "We will add individuals directly involved in anti-Russian activities to the entry ban list in the future."
On the surface, this sanction measure is interpreted as a countermeasure to the U.S. government's previously announced list of sanctions against Russia. On the 23rd, the U.S. government added about 400 entities, including companies and individuals from Russia and China, to the sanctions list for supporting Russia's attack on Ukraine and helping evade international sanctions.
Diplomatic Pressure Amid Continued Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Mainland... Zelensky to Propose Peace Plan to U.S. Next Month
However, there is an interpretation that this announcement of permanent entry bans is closely related to Ukraine's counterattacks on Russian mainland territory. As Ukraine is expected to continue attacks on Russian mainland using the Kursk region as a foothold, the Russian government is trying to apply diplomatic pressure on the West to stop this.
Earlier, on the 27th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at the 'Ukraine 2024 Independence Forum' held in Kyiv that he will attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly next month and present a peace plan to U.S. President Joe Biden. President Zelensky said, "At the September UN General Assembly meeting, I will present a plan for Ukraine's victory to President Biden," explaining, "Our victory plan consists of four stages, and the counterattack in the Kursk region is the first of these plans. The counteroffensive will continue beyond Kursk."
Meanwhile, as Ukraine is expected to continue attacks on Russian mainland, the positions of the U.S. and Western countries are divided. The United Kingdom and France support allowing the use of medium- and long-range missiles to strengthen Ukraine's strikes on Russian mainland, while the U.S. and Germany oppose this citing concerns over escalation.
Major foreign media such as the Associated Press (AP) quoted sources saying, "The Ukrainian government wants to equip F-16 fighter jets with long-range missiles to strike targets on Russian mainland," adding, "The UK and France support this, but the U.S. and Germany continue to oppose it." On the 15th, Sabrina Singh, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, also drew a line by stating, "Ukraine does not need long-range weapons."
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