President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that the United States will impose “major sanctions” on Russia, citing the recent death of prominent opposition leader Alexey Navalny and the two-year-long conflict in Ukraine.
President Biden, addressing reporters, refrained from disclosing specific details but assured the public that a comprehensive package of measures would be revealed on Friday, strategically timed ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby characterized the impending sanctions as a robust response, emphasizing accountability for the fate of Navalny and condemning the “vicious and brutal war that has now raged on for two years.”
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White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan provided insight into the targeted areas, stating that the sanctions would encompass Russia’s defense and industrial bases, as well as key revenue sources for its economy.
A senior U.S. official revealed that the initial sanctions package, planned to mark the second anniversary of the Ukraine war, would be reassessed and augmented in light of Navalny’s untimely demise. The opposition leader, aged 47, passed away on February 16 at a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. Russian authorities have yet to determine the cause of death and have withheld Navalny’s body for a preliminary two-week inquest, a move contested by Navalny’s family.
Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to release her son’s body immediately. Similar sentiments were echoed by Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who alleged in a video statement that authorities delayed the handover of the body to await the dissipation of traces of the Novichok nerve agent.
In response to Navalny’s death, the European Union summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires, and several European nations, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, called in Russian ambassadors to express their concerns over the unfolding situation. The international community is closely monitoring the developments as tensions between the United States and Russia continue to escalate.
