Ben Stiller and Sean Penn are permanently banned from Russia
Multiple public figures, artists and activists have travelled to Ukraine to offer their support since the start of Russia’s invasion of the country. Two of the most vocal opponents of the war were Sean Penn and Ben Stiller, who visited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while documenting the devastating impact of the war.
After visiting Ukraine for the first time, Stiller said: “The thing that gets me is these are just people like you and I who have been caught in a circumstance totally beyond their control. And nobody wants to flee from their home, nobody wants to have to go out into the world and have to start afresh, or even just trying to find a way to survive”.
Sean Penn decided to make a documentary about the invasion, hoping to capture some raw footage of the devastation. However, he left the country eventually after the conflict escalated. He explained: “The only possible reason for me staying in Ukraine longer last time would’ve been for me to be holding a rifle…”
The Russian government has closely monitored the statements and political stances of American celebrities who visited Ukraine. That’s why it recently banned 25 more US citizens, including Penn and Stiller. According to the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry, these bans are a response to strict US sanctions against Russia.
The statement read: “In response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions on Russian citizens by Joe Biden’s administration, a permanent ban to enter the Russian Federation has been imposed on another group of US Congress members, high-ranking officials, members of the business and expert community and cultural figures”.
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