Russia counter-sanctions US President Biden, son Hunter, Hillary Clinton & other officials

Russia on Tuesday imposed counter-sanctions against United States President Joe Biden, as well as Hillary Clinton and other top US officials in retaliation against economic sanctions on Moscow.  The sanctions will also be imposed on Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the US Defence Secretary, National Security Advisor, CIA chief and others. Joe Biden's son Hunter has also been sanctioned.

A statement issued by Russia's Foreign Ministry said that this move comes in response to a "series of unprecedented sanctions" that include barring top Russian government officials from entering the US, Sputnik reported.

Therefore, the ministry explained, President Biden, Antony Blinken, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki have been added to Kremlin's own "stop list" as a reciprocal measure.

Sanctions imposed by the US on Russia

Biden had ordered a ban on Russian energy imports to the United States. The US has also imposed sanctions on the Russian banks, key individuals and the central banks. Nevertheless, many multinational companies have also abandoned Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine.

Biden also announced that the US will dramatically downgrade its trade status with Russia and ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds.

Stripping the 'most favoured nation' trade status from Russia would allow the U.S. and its allies to impose higher tariffs on some Russian imports, increasing the isolation of the Russian economy.

The most favoured nation status has been a baseline for global trade, ensuring that nations within the World Trade Organization are treated similarly. Some countries in the WTO have special privileges due to their status as developing economies. Russia would join the ranks of Cuba and North Korea by not having MFN status from the U.S.

This is in addition to the sanctions against Russian oligarchs imposed by the US and its allies, that have led to Russian billionaires being stripped of their super-yachts moored on foreign ports as well as targeting of their holdings, such as Roman Abramovich's ownership of England's Chelsea Football Club which is currently the World and European Champion.