White House scoffs at Russian sanctions

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday shrugged off Russian sanctions on top U.S. officials, even taking a jab at Moscow to suggest it may have inadvertently sanctioned President Biden’s late father.

Russia’s foreign ministry earlier Tuesday announced it had sanctioned Biden, Psaki, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

“I would first note that President Biden is a junior, so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace,” Psaki said when asked about the impact of the sanctions.

“The second piece I would say is that, it won’t surprise any of you, that none of us are planning tourist trips in Russia. None of us have bank accounts that we won’t be able to access. So we will forge ahead,” she added.

Russia also announced sanctions on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

Moscow’s sanctions follow weeks of steadily escalating penalties the United States and its allies have imposed on the Russian economy in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S., Canada and European nations have sanctioned Russian oligarchs and major Russian banks. The White House has also banned the import of Russian oil, and it has slapped sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and some of his top advisers.