Russia bars entry to Biden and Canada's Trudeau
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R) shakes hands with US Vice President Joe Biden during a meeting in Trudeau's office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, December 9, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
Russia said on Tuesday it had put US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a dozen top US officials on a "stop list" that bars them from entering the country.
Alongside Biden, US officials on the list included Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
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The ban was in response to sanctions imposed by Washington on Russian officials. The foreign ministry later added Trudeau to the list of sanctioned individuals.
The measures appeared to be mainly symbolic, as the Foreign Ministry said it was maintaining official relations and if necessary would make sure that high-level contacts with the people on the list could take place.