White House To Expand Russia Sanctions Over Alexei Navalny's Death

The White House has warned that it will expand the sanctions against Russia following the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison camp. The Independent said in a report that Biden administration will announce a new package on sanctions against Moscow on Friday. This comes a day after US President Joe Biden told reporters that he was considering new sanctions in the wake of Navalny's death. On Friday, Mr Biden had blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the death of the Russian opposition leader.

John Kirby, spokesperson of the White House's National Security Council, declined to share details regarding the new sanctions but blamed Mr Putin.

"Whatever story the Russian government decides to tell the world, it's clear that President Putin and his government are responsible for Mr Navalny's death. In response, at President Biden's direction, we will be announcing a major sanctions package on Friday of this week," he told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.

The US has already imposed significant trade restrictions on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine about two years ago.

CNBC further quoted Mr Kirby as saying that new sanctions will build on the ongoing effort to stifle Russia's economy.

According to Siberian prison authorities, Mr Navalny died after losing consciousness following a walk in his prison colony. The Kremlin announced an investigation into his death and also slammed the West.

Yulia Navalnaya, the Russian opposition leader's wife, held Mr Putin responsible for her husband's death - a charge denied by the Kremlin. She also accused the Kremlin of poisoning Mr Navalny, adding that they were keeping his remains to let the traces of the poison dissipate.

The same accusations had surfaced in 2020, which led to Mr Navalny's hospitalisation in Germany. After he was released from care, Mr Navalny and his wife returned to Russia but were arrested at a Moscow airport.