Ben Stiller and Sean Penn are among the 25 more US individuals whose entry into Russia has been permanently barred by the Russian authorities.
The personal penalties, according to a post on the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s website (dated September 5), are in retaliation to US sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
It says in a translation: “In response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions on Russian citizens by Joe Biden’s administration, a permanent ban to enter the Russian Federation has been imposed on another group of US Congress members, high-ranking officials, members of the business and expert community and cultural figures.”
In the midst of Ukraine’s current conflict with Russia, Stiller and Penn have both shown their support. Stiller, a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, in June and also traveled to occupied areas in Kyiv.
Stiller stated in a video on Instagram: “I’m meeting people who’ve been impacted by the war and hearing how it’s changed their lives.
War and violence are devastating people all over the world. Nobody chooses to flee their home. Seeking safety is a right and it needs to be upheld for every person.”
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In February, Penn traveled to Ukraine to capture footage for a documentary on the invasion. The director particularly traveled to Kyiv to document all the current events in Ukraine and to inform the world about Russia’s invasion of our nation, according to a statement issued at the time by the Office of the President of Ukraine.
“Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty.”
US senators Kyrsten Sinema, Richard Scott, Patrick Toomey Jr., Kevin Cramer, and Mark Kelly are among the other individuals on the prohibited list.
Gina Raimondo, Biden’s secretary of commerce, has also received a punishment.
This follows the inclusion of Mark Zuckerberg, Hilary Clinton, and actor Morgan Freeman on the restricted list in May.