Washington — President Biden said Monday he is weighing additional sanctions against Russia over the death of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
“We already have sanctions, but we are considering additional sanctions, yes,” Mr. Biden told reporters as he returned to the White House from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
On Friday, Mr. Biden blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for Navalny’s death, saying the U.S. wasn’t sure what exactly happened, but that it was “a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did.”
Navalny’s death was reported Friday by Russian prison authorities, who said the dissident “felt unwell” after going for a walk and “almost immediately” lost consciousness.
His widow Yulia Navalnaya, who lives in exile outside Russia, said Monday that authorities were “hiding his body” and “refusing to give it to his mother.” She accused the Kremlin of poisoning her husband, alleging that Russian authorities were delaying handing over his body to allow for traces of the poison to disappear.
The U.S. has already imposed several rounds of punishing sanctions against Russian officials, institutions and businesses since its invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
When asked about increasing sanctions against Russia on Friday, Mr. Biden told reporters he was considering “a whole number of options.”
He has also used Navalny’s death to underscore the threat posed by Russia, and has urged Congress to approve more funding to Ukraine. But Mr. Biden said Monday he wasn’t sure if the death would convince House Republicans to hold a vote on more Ukraine aid.
“I hope so, but I’m not sure anything’s going to change their minds,” he said, adding that Republicans are “making a big mistake not responding.”