U.S. levies over 500 new sanctions against Russia after Navalny’s death

President Joe Biden on Friday called the sanctions a response to both Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The announcement comes a day before the war in Ukraine’s second anniversary. Biden said the people of Ukraine are standing strong. However, Ukrainian forces just withdrew from the city of Avdiivka less than a week ago.

What does this sanctions package entail? It is the largest sanctions package the U.S. has issued against Russian individuals since the start of the war, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday. The package targets more than 300 Russian individuals and entities, sanctioning three Russian officials “in connection with Navalny’s death,” according to the department. Some sanctions target “third-country” entities and individuals helping Russia evade prior sanctions.

How will these and other sanctions be enforced? The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York on Thursday said the Justice Department had indicted a Russian banker and oligarch, Andrey Kostin, along with other individuals, for working to evade U.S. sanctions through shell companies and other means. The Justice Department arrested two of the oligarch’s associates in Austin, Texas, on Thursday morning, but believes Kostin is in Russia.

How else is the White House proposing to help Ukraine? On Thursday, State Department Under Secretary Victoria Nuland called for the United States to provide an additional $60 billion in assistance to Ukraine. The Biden administration has requested those funds in addition to the $75 billion already provided in security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, according to Nuland. The Senate passed a $95.3 billion bill earlier this month to give Ukraine that aid, plus funding for Israel and other security projects. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has criticized that aid package, saying it failed to address “the most pressing issue facing our country”—border security.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions calling Navalny’s death “most predictable.”