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Russia has permanently banned 963 Americans, including Morgan Freeman. The list includes names of politicians, celebrities, and tech executives, and the decision has been taken in response to the U.S. sanctions imposed following the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Russian Foreign Ministry revealed an updated list of Americans on May 21 who are no longer allowed to visit Russia. The list had some famous names like President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Reasons behind Morgan Freeman’s ban
Morgan Freeman’s name was also included in the list of Americans banned from entering Russia. The reason is his role in a video related to the Russian government’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election in the United States.
The clip was released in 2017, and Freeman himself directed and narrated it. It featured actor Rob Reiner, also included in the ban list.
Morgan Freeman has landed himself in trouble in the past for voicing his opinions and using his resources as an environmental and political activist. He donated $1 million along with Professor Linda Keena to the University of Mississippi in 2021 to launch its Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform.
Morgan Freeman is known for his distinctively deep voice and roles in different film genres. He is also the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
List of Americans banned from Russia
The list includes the names of 230 Congressional members, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were also banned. The names of the three deceased people were also included – former Senators John McCain, Harry M. Reid, and Orrin G. Hatch.
Microsoft President Brad Smith, ABC News's George Stephanopoulos, The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser, New York Times's Bret Stephens, and CNN’s Bianna Golodryga were also listed.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close friend Donald Trump’s name was missing from the list, along with Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
Speaking about the ban, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated,
“We emphasize that the hostile actions taken by Washington, which boomerang against the United States itself, will continue to receive a proper rebuff. Russian counter-sanctions are forced and aimed at forcing the ruling American regime, which is trying to impose a neo-colonial ‘rules-based world order’ on the rest of the world, to change its behavior, recognizing new geopolitical realities.”
A few of the banned Americans also responded to the list on social media. Jen Psaki wrote on Twitter that she had to cancel her family trip to Moscow in August.
