Russia Bans 228 Australian Leaders from Entering Its Borders

Russia imposed an entry ban on 228 Australian government members and lawmakers, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

This move came after Australia announced new personal sanctions against Russian officials, according to the website of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The extended list now includes Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Russian government apparatus Dmitry Grigorenko, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, State Duma Deputy Chairman Alexander Babakov, along with chief of the Russian Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev.

The restrictions, imposed on 67 inpiduals, also affected the Acting Mayor of Melitopol Galina Danilchenko and Oleg Voloshin, a Verkhovna Rada lawmaker from Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For Life (OPFL) party.

Last week, Moscow banned more European Union officials, lawmakers, public figures and journalists from entering the country in response to heavy sanctions.

“The restrictions apply to the top leadership of the European Union, including a number of European commissioners and heads of EU military structures, as well as the vast majority of members of the European Parliament who promote anti-Russian policies,” the foreign ministry said.

The ban list also included representatives of some EU member states in addition to public figures and journalists who it said were “personally responsible for promoting illegal anti-Russian sanctions, inciting Russophobic sentiments and the infringement of the rights and freedoms of the Russian-speaking population”.