Russia has expanded the list of Americans sanctioned in a tit-for-tat retaliation latest curb imposed by the United States. But what is especially striking is that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is treating former President Donald J. Trump’s enemy as his own.
Among the 500 people with travel and financial restrictions on Friday, Americans whom Mr. Trump considers opponents, including Letitia James, the New York state attorney general, who investigated and sued him. Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, who has rejected Trump’s pressure to reverse the 2020 election results, also made the list. And Lieutenant Michael Byrd, the Metropolitan Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt, the pro-Trump rioter on January 6, 2021, is another notable name.
None of those three have anything to do with Russian policy, and the only reason they’ve attracted Moscow’s attention is because Mr. Trump has publicly attacked them. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not give a specific explanation as to why they were included in the list but did say that among their targets were “people in the government and law enforcement agencies”. , who are directly involved in the persecution of dissidents after the so-called storming of the Capitol.”
Most recently, this month, Mr. Trump tried to rewrite the history of that day and hovering amnesty for convicted rioters if he is elected to a second term. He also declined to pledge to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia if he was elected president again, saying instead he would seek to mediate between Kiev and Moscow.
Presumably, Russian sanctions will have little practical effect on Ms James, Mr Raffensperger and Lieutenant Byrd as none of them are known to have assets in Russia or plan to travel there. there. Mr Raffensperger retweeted a tweet from Gabriel Sterling, his chief executive, who wrote?: “A great honor for @GaSecofState Raffensperger. He is one of hundreds of Americans banned from traveling to Russia by Vladimir Putin. That means Brad is doing the right thing.”
