CRI听力:Russia Imposes Travel Ban on 89 European Politicians, Military Leaders

Russia has imposed a travel ban on 89 European politicians, military leaders and intellectuals.

Russia says the ban is its response to EU sanctions against it.

The move has created anger in Europe, and is threatening to sharpen the dispute between Moscow and Europe over the conflict in Ukraine.

CRI's Poornima Weerasekara has more.

The European Union is lashing out at the travel ban imposed by Russia on 89 European citizens, calling it "totally arbitrary and unjustified".

The formerly undisclosed list was revealed to European diplomats based in Moscow on Thursday.

It includes the General Secretary of the EU council Uwe Corsepius and former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg among others.

Ilian Vassilev, Former Bulgarian Ambassador to Russia, who made the list for being a vocal critique of President Vladimir Putin says this is a sign that Russia wanted to deepen its isolation.

"The most worrisome part is that they are indicative of a new level of potential new confrontation that is upcoming, because Putin is trying to replicate the situation in Georgia where his troops were advancing and he was able to rush in President Sarkozy and EU was basically forced to negotiate a peace so therefore he needs a new situation where he is on the advance in east Ukraine or other fronts so he can force the EU and the West into a new bargaining that would spare for him Crimea's annexation and particularly keep his control over Ukrainian fate."

The list was compiled by the Russian foreign ministry.

It says the ban is in response to EU sanctions against Russia.

Since Russia annexed Crimea in March of last year, the EU has imposed economic sanctions, visa bans and asset freezes on scores of Russian and Ukrainian citizens and organizations.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Russia's latest move could hamper peace efforts in Ukraine.

"I can only say that, apart from the fact that I don't find it particularly wise to declare such travel bans, at the very least, those concerned should have been informed about the reservations against them or at least those lists should be made public. At a time when we are trying to defuse a persistent and dangerous conflict in the middle of Europe, this does not contribute towards that."

Russian media reports are suggesting a similar list also exists for a number of U.S. citizens.

The EU, along with the United States, is accusing Russia of supporting the separatist rebels battling government forces in Eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has long-denied the allegations.

The 13-month conflict in Ukraine has claimed over 6-thousand lives and has plunged relations among Russia, the EU and the US to their lowest point since the cold war.

The latest spat comes days before a fresh round of talks is due to take place in the Belarussian capital Minsk to try to salvage the 3-month-long ceasefire in East Ukraine.

For CRI I'm Poornima Weerasekara.