TRIBUNNEWS.COM – Russia issued sanctions against a number of American (US) and Canadian officials, including President Joe Biden, on Tuesday (3/15/2022).

The imposition of sanctions by Russia marks a further escalation of tensions between President Vladimir Putin and the West as Russian military forces continue their invasion of Ukraine.

In recent weeks, the United States has issued a number of sanctions against Russia, which include targeting Putin, his entourage, Russian oligarchs, the Russian banking sector, as well as technological development.

In retaliation, Russia also issued sanctions targeting a number of US political figures.

According to a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the government has added people to a “blacklist” that barred them from entering Russia.

Quotation CNNThe blacklist included Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan , CIA Director William Burns, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, USAID Director Samantha Power, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo and US Exporters Import Bank President Reta Jo Lewis.

The blacklist also includes other non-governmental individuals, including the president’s son, Hunter Biden, and former US presidential candidate and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

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The move is largely symbolic as it seems unlikely that members of the Biden administration will visit Russia soon after the United States and its allies moved to punish Putin and members of the Russian elite for invaded Ukraine.

Biden and his administration have ruled out meeting Putin and questioned whether he was really interested in a diplomatic solution to the war.

The Foreign Office said the sanctions were a response to sanctions issued by the United States in recent weeks, which were part of a broader Western tactic to counter Russian military actions in Ukraine.