EU Free to Decide on Russian Travel Ban List Release in Member States

It is up to European member states to decide to publish Russia's confidential list of EU politicians, diplomats and military experts barred entry into Russia, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — European member states are free to decide individually whether to make Russia's confidential list of EU officials banned from entering Russia publicly available, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

On Saturday, a Russian Foreign Ministry source confirmed last week's reports that EU member states' diplomatic missions had received a list of 89 politicians, diplomats and military experts barred entry into Russia.

"Such a reaction on the mere existence of this list is hard to understand in this situation," Peskov said, adding that "it is up to our partners to decide" on its release.

"The foreign ministries made the request, the Russian Foreign Ministry made the submission," Peskov told reporters.

The spokesman alluded to the precedent that led to the emergence of the so-called blacklist in the first place.

The European Union and the United States have issued travel bans to a number of Russian individuals over the past year as part of the sanctions regime implemented in response to Russia's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.

Moscow has consistently denied having any hand in the standoff between Ukrainian government forces and independence supporters in the Ukraine’s southeast.

Earlier on Monday, the Foreign Ministry's press and information department head told Russian News Service radio that the list would be expanded or reduced in response to Western countries' actions.