Russia has banned dozens of high-profile Australians, including former prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard, for pushing an “anti-Russia” agenda.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced “personal sanctions” against 27 Australian citizens on Wednesday including politicians, corporate executives, academics, and journalists.
In a statement posted to the official foreign ministry website, the Kremlin threatened to “update the Russian stop list still further” if the government does not “renounce its anti-Russia agenda”.
“In response to politically motivated sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities… Russia denies entry to Russia for an indefinite term for an additional 27 Australians,” it read.
Those citizens include former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott, several politicians, journalists and military personnel.
Twenty-three of the 27 Australians on the ban list had signed a letter to Treasurer Jim Chalmers in April to call on the government to redirect $9 billion of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.
Federal Judges Geoffrey Kennett and Michael O’Bryan who have also been banned recently made court rulings against Russia’s interest.
The final two people on the ban list, Air Marshal Robert Chipman and Air Vice‑Marshal Stephen Chappell, were appointed to senior defence posts in April.
The ban list included former politicians, journalists, business leaders, academics, public figures and one priest.
Russia has also announced a similar ban on 37 New Zealand citizens, including 12 journalists, 11 military personnel and six mayors.
The announcement came after the Russian Foreign Ministry indefinitely barred more than 200 Australian citizens in April.
It said Australia “obediently follows the decisions of the West” and has decided to sanction Russia’s top managers and almost all of its deputies.
Since the Russo-Ukrainian war began, Russia has placed sanctions on more than 700 Australian citizens.
The Albanese government has unwaveringly supported Ukraine amid the conflict and the Australian government has also imposed more than 1,200 sanctions on Russian entities and citizens.
Australia has also contributed about $1 billion of military support to Ukraine.
Following the announcement of a “mutual defence pact” between North Korea and Russia last week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong called Russia’s invasion “the most fundamental breach of international law”.
At the Ukraine Peace Summit earlier in June, Ms Wong said: “Australia strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty… and we will continue to support Ukraine to end the war on its own terms.”
“We will continue to consistently condemn Russia’s invasion, which is an attack on the UN Charter – a Charter which protects all nations, including Australia.”