Russia puts more EU officials on stop list in response to sanctions

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Tuesday said more EU officials were put on the national stop list in response to the bloc's 9th package of sanctions against Moscow, and its parliament labeling the country as a "sponsor of terrorism."

The Foreign Ministry said it sanctioned the leadership of EU law enforcement agencies involved in training of Ukrainian armed forces, European state and commercial structures that produce and supply weapons and military equipment to Kyiv, and citizens "who have been noticed in systematic public anti-Russian rhetoric." It, however, did not give any names.

"Restrictions are also applied to individual members of the European Parliament," it said. The EU legislative body dubbed Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism" last November, accusing its forces of carrying out atrocities during its war on Ukraine.

The ministry said that "any unfriendly actions on the part of Western countries will continue to receive a timely and adequate response."

Last month, the 27-member union adopted its 9th sanctions package against Russia, further expanding the scope of the existing sanctions and restrictive measures such as travel bans, banning Russian gold, oil, and coal imports, and the export of luxury goods and high-tech technology, and excluding Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system.