US imposes massive sanctions package against Russia for war in Ukraine and Navalny's death
US President Joe Biden (Phoro: Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden announced that the United States has imposed a large-scale package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
"Today, I am announcing more than 500 new sanctions against Russia for its ongoing war of conquest on Ukraine and for the death of Aleksei Navalny," he said.
According to Biden, the sanctions will target individuals associated with Navalny's imprisonment and Russia's financial sector, defense industry, procurement networks, and sanctions evaders on multiple continents.
"They will ensure Putin pays an even steeper price for his aggression abroad and repression at home," he emphasized.
In addition, the United States is imposing new export restrictions on nearly 100 organizations for "providing backdoor support for Russia's war machine."
"We are taking action to further reduce Russia's energy revenues. And I've directed my team to strengthen support for civil society, independent media, and those who fight for democracy around the world," Biden said.
Navalny's death and new sanctions against Russia
On February 16, 47-year-old Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny collapsed and later died in the Arctic colony of Polar Wolf, where he was serving a three-year sentence.
The politician's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, accused Russian dictator Vladimir Putin of her husband's death.
The US confirmed that Navalny died unnaturally and announced a new package of sanctions against Russia. The new restrictions will affect its defense industry and are intended to reduce its export potential.
The US State Department said the sanctions would be "crippling."
