Russia releases 89-name EU travel blacklist

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / AFP

The Hague (AFP) - Moscow has released a blacklist of European Union politicians barred from Russia in response to EU sanctions over Crimea and Ukraine, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday.

"Russia yesterday handed over a list of people to diverse EU embassies who may not enter Russia any longer," Rutte said at a weekly press conference, adding that two Dutch MPs and a Dutch MEP were on the list.

The list contains 89 names, according to a letter from Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders tweeted by Belgian MEP Mark Demesmaeker.

The letter, which was confirmed as authentic by the Dutch foreign ministry to AFP, said Moscow had asked for the list not to be made public.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-issues-blacklist-bars-eu-politicians-dutch-pm-164848974.html

[dlwickham]

1. guess those vodka tasting tours will have to wait

I bet they're all upset to be on a Russian blacklist

[Downwinder]

2. Seems strange to see Russia

being more transparent than the US.

[cstanleytech]

3. "Moscow had asked for the list not to be made public." An interesting definition of transparent.

[Downwinder]

4. More transparent than telling you after you buy a ticket.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Not really; they did that sort of thing too

Moscow on Sunday turned back German MP Karl-Georg Wellmann, who has strong links to Ukraine, from Moscow airport, despite his having been invited to take part in political discussions.

The Russian authorities put him back on a plane for Berlin and slapped an entry ban on him until 2019, German media reported.

[rpannier]

7. According to the story

they've had the list for a few months now and have been turning people back
It's only recently that they made the list available to the EU

from the story
A spokeswoman for the EU diplomatic service in Brussels told AFP that Russia had barred several European politicians from entry in recent months, but had so far refused to provide a list of those targeted.

[SoapBox]

5. Please...ban me!

I'm never going anyway but would wear my ban as a badge of honor.

[paleotn]

8. I'm sure those EU officals....

....are devastated! Devastated, I tell you!

[Nitram]

9. There go my vacation travel plans

I guess I'll have to go someplace nice instead.