WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Joe Biden kept his promise to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We in the United States are going to continue to ensure that Putin pays the price for his aggression abroad and repression at home,” Biden said.
The Biden administration issued more than 500 new sanctions against Russia because of the death of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.
“Make no mistake. Putin is responsible for Alexei’s death,” Biden said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says these sanctions will hurt Russia’s most critical sectors.
“Defense industry, aeronautics, energy extraction, all of the technology that’s being denied as a result of these actions, will have an increasingly heavier and heavier impact,” Blinken said.
While some sanctions were added because of Navalny’s death, most were already in the works to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this weekend.
“History’s watching. The clock is ticking. Brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying,” Biden said.
The President says the next step is for the House to pass the national security bill the Senate already approved to guarantee more funding for Ukraine.
“If the Speaker called for a vote in the House, it would pass easily today,” Biden said.
Despite the inaction from Congress, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) led a trip to Ukraine to reassure Ukrainian officials that U.S aid will come soon.
