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“The intelligence community is very confident that Russian FSB officials used a nerve paralyzing substance known as Novičiok to poison Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalna on August 20, 2020,” said a senior US official.
Representatives said the United States would impose sanctions on “seven senior members of the Russian government,” but more details will be released a little later on Tuesday.
In coordination with the European Union, the United States has once again demanded that Russia release Navalna, who was arrested in January when he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he was treated for several months after the poisoning. His arrest and Navaln’s accusations that Russian President Vladimir Putin is participating in large-scale corruption schemes have sparked mass protests in many cities across the country.
Officials said the United States would impose sanctions on “seven high-ranking members of the Russian government.” More details are expected later Tuesday.
According to sources, the United States will also restrict exports to Russia. This would be in line with Biden’s promise to take a tougher line with Moscow than his predecessor, Donald Trump, who has repeatedly welcomed Putin.
“We are sending a clear signal to Russia that there are clear consequences for the use of chemical weapons,” said another official.
Based on two administration officials, CNN said Monday that the United States would coordinate with the EU to decide who would be put on the sanctions list and when to impose them.
Alexei Navalna
One official said the sanctions could be imposed by a presidential executive order for Russia’s attacks on America’s democracy, including a cyberattack on SolarWinds and a reward for the Taliban for killing American troops, writes CNN.
These would be the first sanctions imposed on Russia by Biden.
Former President Donald Trump has often been accused of being too lenient towards Russia.
The EU approved sanctions against four high-ranking Russian officials on Monday, and United Nations (UN) human rights experts called for an international investigation into the Navaln poisoning and his immediate release.
EU sanctions will be imposed on Alexander Kalashnikov, Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), Alexander Bastrykin, Head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Igor Krasnov, Attorney General, and Viktor Zolotov, Director of the National Guard.
These four people will be the first to be subject to restrictions under the new EU sanctions regime for human rights violations, which came into effect last December. They will be banned from the EU and their assets under EU jurisdiction will be frozen.
Navaln was jailed in February when he returned to Moscow from Berlin, where a 44-year-old opponent was treated for several months for Novičiok, a substance that paralyzes the nerves.
Kremlin: sanctions against Russia ‘do not meet objectives’
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Western sanctions against Russia were ineffective in response to reports that the European Union and the United States were developing new sanctions against Moscow.
“Those who still rely on these measures should probably think a bit: do they achieve any goal by continuing with that policy?” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“The answer would be obvious: such a policy does not achieve its objectives,” he added.
A 44-year-old Kremlin critic was arrested in mid-January as soon as he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he was treated for several months with Novičiok, a nerve paralyzing substance. Navaln blames Russian President Vladimir Putin for the attack. The Kremlin denies such accusations.
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