Biden said on February 20 that the United States will impose a series of major sanctions on Russia due to the death of Russian opposition leader Navalny and the 2nd anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Biden spoke to reporters when he left for California on the 20th, but did not reveal more details about the sanctions in his speech.
Navalny memorial.
White House adviser Jake Sullivan said the latest sanctions against Russia will target a range of projects, including the country's defense, industrial base, and other economic revenues**.
White House spokesman John Kirby said the series of measures would "hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr. Navalny" and for his actions during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to US media reports, Biden said in his speech at the White House on the 19th that there is already a new round of sanctions against Russia, but the United States is still considering other sanctions. Previously, Biden directly accused Putin and his "villains" of being responsible for Navalny's death.
Reuters, citing a senior U.S. ** report, said that a sanctions package for the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is already being planned, but Washington will now reconsider and supplement the package as a response to Navalny's death.
Previously, the United States had imposed a series of sanctions on Russia in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the poisoning and imprisonment of Navalny in 2020. Russia responded that the US move was an "anti-Russian hostile attack" and a pretext for the US to continue to openly interfere in Russia's internal affairs.
Navalny, Russia's prominent opposition leader and Russia's sharpest critic of Vladimir Putin, served time in prison in 2021 on multiple charges. On February 16, Russian prison services said Navalny collapsed while walking in a prison in the Arctic Circle, about 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow, commonly known as the "polar wolf," and immediately lost consciousness and died at the age of 47.
Editor: Liu Zhenzhen).