Russia has added to its so-called stop-list, barring a further 39 British politicians, officials, business people and journalists from entering the country including TV presenter Piers Morgan.
Also on the list of folks who support the “demonization” of Russia, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are Labour Party leader Kier Starmer and former Prime Minister David Cameron as well as ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston, BBC News’ Huw Edwards, The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh and other members of the media working for the Sunday Times, the Economist, the Daily Telegraph and Sky News.
The new travel bans which come amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, add to those already imposed upon over 200 other Brits including disgraced PM Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who is vying to replace him. Moscow previously also banned U.S. President Joe Biden and a group of top EU officials, among others.
In a statement, according to the TASS news agency, the Ministry said the bans were in reaction to the UK government’s continued application of “the mechanism of sanction restrictions against representatives of Russia’s socio-political circles, domestic economic operators and the media.” It deemed those added to the list as people who “contribute to London’s hostile course aimed at demonizing our country and isolating it internationally.”
Russia will keep adding names, the Ministry said. ”Work on expanding the Russian stop-list will be continued given London’s destructive desire to whip up the spiral of sanctions under far-fetched and absurd pretexts.”
Morgan for his part seemed unfazed, writing on Twitter that visiting the country was not on his “to-do list.”
