President Biden said Monday that his administration is considering new sanctions on Moscow over the death of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“We already have sanctions, but we are considering additional sanctions, yes,” Mr. Biden told reporters as he arrived at the White House after a weekend in Delaware.
Navalny died in an Arctic prison on Friday, a week before the two-year mark of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Biden’s comments follow increasing calls for fresh sanctions by several European Union countries, including Germany, following Navalny’s death.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Monday that she would seek a new package of sanctions, possibly freezing the assets and imposing a travel ban on the Russian prison officials linked to Navalny’s death.
If Mr. Biden wants to impose new sanctions, it’s unclear what options might be available. The U.S. has already hit Moscow with numerous sanctions following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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While the sanctions have damaged Russia economically, they have failed to push Mr. Putin out of power or force him to call off his invasion. Instead, Mr. Putin has allowed the pain of sanctions to fall on Russian civilians.
Mr. Biden also urged House Republicans to move forward with a package of security measures, including billions in wartime funding for Ukraine. The $95 billion package was approved by the Senate but has stalled in the House amid opposition from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, and other allies of former President Donald Trump.
The president said Republicans are “making a big mistake” by not advancing the aid package, which Mr. Biden has touted as critical for Ukraine to help fend off Russian invaders.
“The way they’re walking away from the threat of Russia, the way they’re walking away from NATO, the way they’re walking away from meeting our obligations — it’s just shocking,” Mr. Biden said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Mr. Biden said he would be willing to meet with Mr. Johnson, but suggested he would only do so if the speaker was willing to talk more about the aid package.
“I’d be happy to meet with him if he has anything to say,” Mr. Biden told reporters.
SEE ALSO: Trump compares Navalny’s death to his own legal woes
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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