Russia imposes entry ban on Czech EU commission VP Věra Jourová, seven other officials

Věra Jourová, the Czech Vice-President of the European Commission, in charge of democratic values and transparency, is one of eight European officials now banned from entering Russia. Among the others is European Parliament President David Sassoli.

Moscow announced the sanctions on Friday in retaliation to those put in place by the EU in March, amid renewed tensions between Russia and the West. The Russian foreign ministry said Brussels was imposing unilateral, illegitimate restrictive measures targeting both individuals and businesses.

The presidents of the European Parliament, Council of the EU and European Commission said in reaction the EU reserves the right to take appropriate action in response. For her part, Jourová said that Russia’s relentless spread of disinformation and undermining of human rights required a strong and lasting response.