According to CNN, US President Joe Biden's administration is planning to sanction Russia over the poisoning and imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny. CNN stated that the US would work with the European Union to decide what sanctions will be implemented and when they will be imposed, citing two administration officials.
An executive order, according to one official, could be used to enforce sanctions on Russia for repeated attacks on US democracy, such as the SolarWinds cybersecurity hack and the implementation of bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan, CNN reported. The sanctions would be Biden's first against Russia, and they would be a significant departure from Trump's approach to dealing with Moscow.
Trump's relationship with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was well-known, and he frequently refused to hold Russia accountable for its actions. Earlier Monday, the European Union approved sanctions against four senior Russian officials, while UN human rights experts called for an international investigation into Navalny's poisoning and his immediate release.
Four justice and law enforcement officers involved in Navalny's detention have been sanctioned by the EU. They will be barred from entering the European Union and their assets will be frozen. Putin's most vocal critic was sentenced to two and a half years in a penal colony for violating parole terms while recovering from a poisoning attack in Germany. The 44-year-old spent months recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent poisoning he says was directed by Putin, despite the Kremlin's repeated denials.