Sean Penn and Ben Stiller permanently banned from entering Russia over Ukraine support
Actors are among 25 other Americans that Russia has imposed personal sanctions on
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sean Penn and Ben Stiller are among 25 Americans permanently banned from entering Russia.
On Monday (5 September), Russia’s Foreign Ministry imposed personal sanctions on a group of Americans in response to US sanctions against Russians stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.
Penn and Stiller have been outspoken critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Milk star is an activist involved in relief work, among other causes. In February, he fled Ukraine while filming a VICE documentary about Russia’s invasion of the country.
After which, Penn revealed that he had considered joining Ukrainian forces to fight against Russia.
Meanwhile, Stiller – who’s a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees – praised Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him “my hero”, following a visit to the country on World Refugee Day.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was also on the new sanctions list, as were several American senators: Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Rick Scott of Florida, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the group, which also included business leaders, academics and government officials, would be banned permanently from entering Russia.
Previous rounds of Russian sanctions against Americans have included US President Joe Biden and members of his family, as well as lawmakers and business leaders. The US has sanctioned numerous Russians, including government officials and business people.
Additional reporting from AP