In response to their public criticisms of the war in Ukraine, Hollywood stars Sean Penn & Ben Stiller were included on a 25-person list sanctioned from Russia by Russia.
The actors were included on the new list, which consisted mainly of politicians, trade officials, and industrial executives. It was imposing sanctions against Russia and prohibiting them from entering.
Stiller and Penn were vocal supporters of Ukraine in conflict and met President VolodymyrZelenskyy of Ukraine in high-profile gestures of support.
Stiller, the star of Zoolander and Meet The Parents, said to Mr Zelenskyy during a June televised meeting in Kyiv: “You are my hero.”
Two-time Oscar nominee Penn was filming a documentary in Ukraine when Russia invaded. He fled on foot and joined the millions of Ukrainians who crossed into Poland during the first days in war.
Since then, he has been an active supporter of Ukraine and returned to Ukraine in June to meet with the leader.
Penn also visited Bucha, near Kyiv. These are the locations of alleged Russian atrocities against civilians. President Zelenskyy publicly thanked Penn.
Russia denies that it targeted civilians as part of a “special military operations” to protect its Russian-speakers in Ukraine from persecution and to defuse any Western threat to its security.
These are pretexts for war of aggression, Kyiv and West claim.
All Russian assets are frozen by the sanctions, and Russian citizens are prohibited from doing business with them.
They should be banned from traveling to Russia.
This list also included Gina Raimondo (US Commerce Secretary), four deputy commerce secretaries, and six senators from the US.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West has placed unprecedented economic and personal sanctions against Russia.
Moscow has retaliated by imposing tit-for–tat sanctions against politicians, business leaders, and cultural figures it considers to be its enemies
Russia is hostile