Ukraine Adds Gerard Depardieu to 5-Year Blacklist

French actor Gerard Depardieu participates in hand-scything on the territory of the Ozerny official presidential residence outside Minsk, Belarus, July 22, 2015 (issued July 23). Photo by EPA/BGNES

Ukraine has moved ban actor G?rard Depardieu from entering the country over the next five years.

Depardieu, who in 2013 was granted Russian citizenship, has thus become part of a list including Serbian director Emir Kusturica, Hollywood director Oliver Stone, and actor Steven Seagal.

All of them are known for their pro-Russian stance in the Moscow-Kiev dispute over the Crimean peninsula, which Russia incorporated following a local referendum on March 16 of last year.

Depardieu in particular has become "persona non grata" in Ukraine due a need to "guarantee state security", Russian business Ukrinform quotes Ukrainian officials as saying.

In August 2014, Depardieu prompted Kiev's outrage by arguing that Ukraine is part of Russia.