The Washington Post revealed that the Biden administration is preparing new sanctions and measures to punish Russia.
According to U.S. officials cited by the newspaper, the sanctions are a response to Russia's cyber espionage campaign and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. In this regard, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed that the United States has requested that the EU coordinate its positions with them regarding Russia. Borrell revealed that additional Russian figures will be added to the European sanctions list. EU foreign ministers have agreed to impose sanctions on Russian officials in light of the repression against the Kremlin’s most prominent opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, and his supporters. Work may soon begin on identifying targeted entities or individuals for sanctions and establishing the legal framework for them. Those involved in the imprisonment of the prominent opposition figure may face sanctions including asset freezes or travel bans.
The EU is expected to utilize its new mechanism for imposing sanctions on those involved in global human rights violations. The bloc has already imposed punitive measures on Moscow over its role in the conflict in Ukraine following the attempted poisoning of Navalny in August. Diplomats in Brussels stated that on Monday (February 22, 2021), a "political agreement" was reached to use the new human rights-related sanctions system for the first time to punish four senior Russian officials involved in Navalny's imprisonment and the repression of his supporters. They clarified that the sanctions would not include any wealthy elites close to power. Diplomats did not provide details on the names of the officials who would be targeted for asset freezes and travel bans. EU foreign minister Josep Borrell will formally present a list of the individuals to be sanctioned in the coming days, as stated by a senior diplomat. Russia has threatened to take countermeasures if the EU imposes new sanctions against it.
