Russia bans Aussie politicians

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton are among 228 Australian officials banned from entering Russia in response to sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s favourite oligarchs.

The Kremlin announced many Australian federal MPS would be barred from entering the Russian Federation, in direct response to sanctions against 67 Russians, including Colonel-general Mikhail Mizintsev, who has been dubbed the “Butcher of Mariupol”.

“Members of the Australian national security committee, the House of Representatives, the Senate and regional legislative assemblies are included on the ‘stop list’ of persons who are denied entry to Russia,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It came after Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne, announced new sanctions in Brussels as she met her NATO counterparts.

On Friday, Mr Dutton likened Mr Putin to Adolf Hitler as the first three of 20 Bushmaster armoured vehicles promised to Ukraine left Brisbane.