John Kirby, the spokesperson for national security at the Biden administration, announced that it was preparing a “major package of sanctions” against Russia as a response to Alexei Navalny’s death. The package was not detailed, which isn’t surprising considering that the Russian economy has been heavily sanctioned.
Kirby, a reporter, said that the sanctions would “hold Russia responsible for what happened to Mr. Navalny and, quite frankly, all of its actions during this brutal and vicious war, which has now been raging for over two years.”
Kirby did not waste an opportunity to call for the passage of the Ukraine Funding Bill, though it is unclear what this has to do with Nvalny’s death. Kirby stated, “One of the most powerful ways to resist Vladimir Putin right now is to pass the bipartisan National Security Supplement Bill and support Ukraine in their brave fight to defend their country.”
Bloomberg:
US President Joe Biden claimed that Putin was responsible for the death of Navalny (47), a prominent critic of the Russian leader, who had been jailed in the Arctic. Biden claimed that he warned Putin in 2021 during a summit in Geneva about the serious consequences of Navalny dying in prison.
It’s not clear whether new sanctions will have any practical impact on Moscow. The US has already imposed major sanctions against Russia, affecting large sections of its economy and many prominent officials.
Kirby stressed that even though there may not be any concrete evidence to prove Putin’s involvement, the Russian President is still responsible. Kirby said to reporters, “Whatever story the Russian Government decides to tell, it’s obvious that President Putin and the Russian government are responsible for Mr. Navalny’s death.”
“It is clear that Mr. Putin was responsible, regardless of what the scientific answer may be. It’s difficult to accept the Russians are being truthful if there isn’t a credible investigation into his murder.”
The family of Mr. Navalny has not been allowed to possess the body and an independent autopsy will not be performed. You can make of that whatever you want.
The Russian economy continues to grow despite the sanctions imposed by the US administration on almost all industries in Russia, as well as the punishment of Putin and his cronies. The New York Times reported, “Just last month, the International Monetary Fund stated that Russia’s economic growth is faster than expected.”
India’s massive purchases of oil and China’s assistance are two of the main reasons why Russia continues to grow economically. Russia is still solvent.
Karine Jean Pierre, White House Press Secretary, responded to a question regarding the effectiveness of past sanctions by stating that the United States, along with its partners, had “imposed on Russia the most severe sanctions that any economy its size has ever experienced.”
“We have kicked them out and isolated them on the global stage.”
It is much more difficult to suppress a diverse and large economy like Russia than the government thought.