Broadcasting Board of Governors chief Jeff Shell denied entry because he is on stoplist - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has explained why President of the United States Broadcasting Board of Governors Jeffrey Shell was denied entry to Russia upon arrival at Moscow airport a day earlier.
"The reason is this: Shell was recently placed on the stoplist which Russia, as was repeatedly announced, is broadening in reply to the visa sanctions introduced by Washington against Russian citizens on invented grounds," the Russian Foreign ministry's Department of Information and Press said in a commentary released on Wednesday evening.
"If there is anything in this situation that Washington can express its discontent about, it is only the consequences of its own aggressive and short-sighted policy," the ministry said.
"Sanctions are always a doubled-edged sword. Whoever introduces them against Russia should be mindful of the imminence of counter-measures," the ministry said.
"In this particular instance, we are talking about one of the organizers of the massive false anti-Russian propaganda financed from the U.S. budget, i.e. one that is being pursued owing to the political decisions made at the very top of the U.S.," the ministry said.
Shell was denied entry to Russia upon arrival at one of Moscow's airports on July 12, the ministry recalled. He had to change plane and fly back. He is president of the U.S. broadcasting board of governors, a state body in charge of U.S. propaganda radio stations such as Voice of America and Liberty.
