Moscow denies GOP senator's claim that Russia rejected his visa

Did Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) apply for a visa to travel to Russia or not? It probably doesn't really matter, either way.

The senator said in a statement on Monday that Moscow denied his request to travel to Russia as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation. He called the decision a "petty affront" and said he would "continue to advocate a strong and resolute response to Russian aggression," as he hopes to hold Moscow accountable for its actions in Crimea. Johnson's congressional colleague, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), was reportedly denied a visa, as well.

Hogwash, the Russian government said — Johnson was never denied a visa. Moscow said he mischaracterized the situation by presenting "everything as if he had been refused after applying." The Russian Embassy in Washington also said that Johnson never applied for a visa at the embassy and did not inform the office about his plan to visit. In reality, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he's actually on a list of individuals officially barred from entering the country because he supports "anti-Russian" legislation, which doesn't sound all that different from a visa denial when you think about it.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

So... ultimately, it's all semantics. The one thing that seems certain at the moment is that Johnson won't be headed to Russia.