The Kremlin has formally designated the United States an "enemy" state as diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington worsen.
During a news briefing on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said, "We are now an enemy country for them, just as they are for us."
According to Agentstvo, a prominent Russian investigative website, neither Peskov nor Putin have ever described the United States or other "unfriendly" countries as Russia's adversaries.
This decision is in response to recent occurrences, particularly the denial of former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter's visit to Russia. Ritter's passport was detained by US border officials as he sought to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, further complicating US-Russia relations.
Ritter spoke with TASS, a Russian news agency, about how he was pulled off his airplane and banned from completing his journey. He stated that officials gave no explanation for preventing him from traveling and that they were following directions from the US State Department.
Peskov addressed the event at the briefing, describing it as "the latest manifestation of the rabid campaign" to discourage Americans from dealing with Russia.
A State Department spokeswoman told Newsweek that they cannot release information on the passport status of specific US residents without their permission.
“There are situations where a U.S. passport may be revoked. These include, but are not limited to, laws and regulations affecting passport usage by individuals with active warrants or criminal records, fraud concerns, tax debt, and child support arrears,” the spokesperson said.
