WASHINGTON – The United States is expected to impose sanctions on Tuesday to punish Russia for poisoning Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, two sources familiar with the matter said.
President Joe Biden’s decision to impose sanctions on Navalny’s poisoning reflects a tougher stance than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump, which passed the incident in August last year without punishing US action. .
Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was transported to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin denied any role in his illness, saying he saw no evidence that he was poisoned.
The sources said on Monday on condition of anonymity that the United States is expected to act under two executive orders: 13661, which was issued after Russia’s invasion of Crimea, but offers a wide authority to target Russian officials, and 13382 , issued in 2005 to distribute weapons of mass destruction.
Both orders cause the United States to freeze U.S. assets from those being targeted and effectively prevent U.S. companies and individuals from dealing with them.
The sources said the Biden government also intended to act under the 1991 Chemical and Biological Weapons Elimination and Warfare Act, which provides a menu of sanctions.
The sources said that some individuals would already be announced on the sanctions on Tuesday, but refused to name it or say what other sanctions could be imposed.
However, they added that Washington would maintain exemptions that would allow foreign aid and certain export licenses for Russia.
The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of sanctions.
A third source said US action could be coordinated with sanctions that the European Union could impose as soon as Tuesday.
EU foreign ministers agreed on February 22 to impose sanctions on four senior Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin in a largely symbolic response to Navalny’s imprisonment. The EU is expected to formally approve in early March.
In the case of Navalny, Trump, whose term ended in January, did nothing to punish Russia. Top UN human rights activists said on Monday that Moscow was to blame for the attempt to assassinate Navalny as part of a pattern of attacks on critics to destroy the difference of opinion.
After his medical treatment in Germany, Navalny, 44, returned to Russia in January. He was arrested and later sentenced to more than 2-1 / 2 years in prison for parole offenses which he said were committed.
Biden called Navalny’s prison sentence “politically motivated” last month and called for his release. He pledged a new and tough approach to Moscow, saying the United States would no longer “roll over” in the face of aggressive action by Russia.
Washington and Moscow do not agree on a wide range of issues over Navalny, such as Russia’s military ambitions in Ukraine and Georgia, as well as a cyber attack on US government agencies last year blaming Washington. Moscow has denied responsibility for the burglary. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk and Arshad Mohammed; Written by Arshad Mohammed; Edited by Timothy Heritage and Peter Cooney)