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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Russia imposed personal sanctions Monday on 25 Americans, including actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller, in response to U.S. sanctions against Russians stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.
U.S.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was on the new sanctions list, as were several
American senators: Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Kevin Cramer of
North Dakota, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Rick Scott of Florida, and Pat
Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Russia’s
Foreign Ministry said the group, which also included business leaders,
academics and government officials, would be banned permanently from entering
Russia.
Previous
rounds of Russian sanctions against Americans have included President Joe Biden
and members of his family, as well as lawmakers and business leaders. The U.S.
has sanctioned numerous Russians, including government officials and business
people.
Penn and
Stiller have been outspoken critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Penn is an
activist involved in relief work, among other causes. Stiller is a goodwill
ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.