Politics

Hillary Clinton thanks Russia for 'lifetime achievement award' after being hit with sanctions

Hillary Clinton thanks Russia for 'lifetime achievement award' after being hit with sanctions
Boris Johnson justifies Saudi visit as attempt to build 'widest possible coalition' ...
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Hillary Clinton is one of a number of current and former American officials who have been hit by Russian sanctions – and judging by her reaction, she’s really not too bothered about it.

Clinton is one of the names on the list released by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter, which includes president Joe Biden, secretary of state Antony Blinken, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, CIA director William Burns.

“In response to a series of unprecedented sanctions prohibiting, among other things, entry into the United States for top Russian officials, effective March 15 this year, the Russian ‘stop list’ includes @JoeBiden, @SecBlinken and a number of other American figures on the basis of reciprocity,” the ministry tweeted.

It’s strange to see her featured on the list, considering she’s no longer in office, but Clinton is wearing the sanctions as a badge of honour.

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“I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award,” she tweeted.

Hillary really doesn't seem too botheredGetty

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, sanctions are continuing to be placed on Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Vladimir Putin and the Russian economy.

The UK government has sanctioned asset freezes and travel bans on a number of super-wealthy oligarchs with close links to the Kremlin to “inflict maximum economic pain on Putin and his war machine”, Boris Johnson said.

More than 300 companies have stopped doing business in Russia following the invasion, but some significant brands continue to operate in the country.

While the new sanctions set out by Russia are handed out “on the basis of reciprocity” and meant as a form of retaliation, it’s difficult to see them having anywhere near the same impact.

“Russia has sanctioned Joe Biden and a range of other top US officials,” Max Seddon, the Moscow bureau chief of the Financial Times, explained on Twitter. “The main impact of this is they can now make corny jokes on cable news about how they won’t be able to access their Russian bank accounts or go on vacation in Siberia, I guess.”

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