Ratcheting up tensions with Moscow, on Tuesday, the Biden administration announced sanctions on senior Russian officials and Russian entities over the jailing and alleged poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The US coordinated the move with the EU, which also imposed sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.
The US measures targeted seven senior Russian government officials. The Biden administration also sanctioned 14 Russian entities that the US claims are involved with Russia’s alleged chemical weapons program and its development of weapons of mass destruction.
The EU sanctioned four senior Russian officials in its new measures. The EU had already sanctioned six Russians and a state research center over Navalny’s jailing.
For their part, the Russians have denied any role in Navalny’s poisoning and said they have not seen evidence to prove the accusation. Ahead of the announcement of the sanctions, Moscow warned the US that it would respond to any penalties against Russian officials.
“We will respond without fail. Reciprocity, which is one of the rules of diplomacy, has not been annulled,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “We have repeatedly said what we think of illegitimate unilateral sanctions the American colleagues as well as the European Union that follows the US lead tend to resort to for practically no reason.”
Biden administration officials had been warning for weeks that they would take action against Russia over Navalny. While President Biden quickly reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to renew New START, the vital nuclear arms treaty, the new administration has maintained an incredibly hostile stance towards Moscow.
The most effective Russian response would be to ratchet up their case against Navalny. Put him on trial as a Western agent, sent in for subversion, funded by foreign money. Do to him what the US did in its politics of Putin’s purported intervention in the US election. The way has been mapped out ahead already by the recent US actions against Russia.
Why doesn’t Russia demand from the west to free Julian Assange.
President Biden has renewed New START – a welcome move. But ominously there is no talk of re-instating the INF Treaty. It will be intermediate range missiles stationed in Europe against Russia and in Asia facing China. The administration needs to know where events are leading it. As history warns, nations can end up with the war they do not want and are doomed to lose: the US does not want war Russia and/or China.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
This is in re to a Russian citizen on Russian soil. Now, where the hell do US and EU pols get the authority to have ANY say on how Russia applies it’s laws internally?
“alleged poisoning”
I can’t help but think of MBS’ “alleged” involvement in the butchering of Khashoggi and the sanctions NOT being imposed on him. Is there any limit to our hypocrisy?
If he had been poisoned, he’d be dead!
The Navalny case is another Skripal-type affair where the facts don’t match the charges. But it makes a neat part of the US strategy. The US security state requires enemies, and USSR/Russia has always fit the bill. So then a bogus incident is created to increase the animosity, and when the target country reacts Washington can say “See, I told you they are nasty people [just like us].” Lacking a better term, it could be called reverse diplomacy. . . .Or perhaps there’s a word for it?
Biden free Assange.