Maria Zakharova confirmed that Nuland had been barred from entering Russia in a tit-for-tat move after Washington slapped Russian officials with entry bans. Nuland is expected to come to Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and other dignitaries.
"She was on the sanctions list, which means she could not cross the border. They [the US] put Russian officials, foreign affairs experts on their blacklist. In this case, we approached the problem reciprocally. Yes, she will come to Russia", Zakharova told a Russian TV show.
Nuland will arrive in Moscow on 11 October for a three-day visit. The Department of State said she will meet with senior Russian officials and other interlocutors to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues. She will fly to Beirut on Thursday and to London on Friday.