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Lithuania Plans to Blacklist Russian Officials, Report Says

Lithuania is preparing a list of Russian officials and politicians to be banned from entering the country, according to Lithuanian newspaper Lietuvos Zinios.

The Baltic country's foreign minister, Linas Linkevicius, was cited by the publication as saying some Russian security officials, politicians and entrepreneurs would be blacklisted from the country.

The move comes amid a new wave of international criticism of Russia after the July 17 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which Western leaders suspect was shot down by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine whom they accuse Moscow of supporting.

On Monday, Lithuania discussed the possibility of imposing sanctions on Russia with EU officials in Brussels.

Last week, another Baltic nation, Latvia, prohibited several Russian pop stars from entering the country for a planned performance at the New Wave festival in Jurmala.

In explaining his decision to impose the ban, Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics called the musicians "apologists for imperialism and aggression," Dozhd TV reported.

See also:

Russian Cash, Trade Splits EU On Sanctions

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