Russian-Austrian opera singer Anna Netrebko is now subject to extensive sanctions by Ukraine over her close ties to Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin. In addition to Netrebko, the Kyiv government issued entry bans or asset freezes against another 118 Russians and Ukrainians, including Kremlin chief ideologue Alexander Dugin or the head of state broadcaster RT, Marita Simonyan.
Six months before the war broke out, Putin had organized a birthday show for Netrebko at the Kremlin Palace. The fact that she was in the picture with the flag of the pro-Russian separatists in Donbas caused criticism. After the outbreak of war in Ukraine and while canceling concerts and opera performances in Western countries, she distanced herself from Putin in writing, which in turn brought her criticism and cancellations of performances in Russia.
The list is based on a decision of the Ukrainian Security Council, according to a decree of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The government, security services and the National Bank were instructed to implement the measures. The State Department must also “inform the competent authorities of the European Union, the United States and other countries about the application of the sanctions and encourage them to impose similar restrictive measures”.
Eurovision runners-up also on the list
The list also includes singer Polina Gagarina, known to an international audience since her Eurovision appearance in 2015. At the singing competition in Vienna, Gagarina came second, with the votes cast for her being greeted with loud boos from the audience. Gagarina burst into tears and was comforted by co-host and 2014 winner Conchita Wurst. In March 2022, following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Gagarina sang at a major concert in Moscow “celebrating” the eighth anniversary of Russia’s illegal appropriation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.
Source: Krone
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