The USA and Great Britain are discussing the possibility of introducing new sanctions against Russia for the use of chemical weapons, after the first round of sanctions related to the poisoning of a Russian opposition leader and the imprisonment of Alexei Navalny.
This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to sources.
According to people familiar with the matter, the US and Great Britain are weighing the possibility of additional sanctions against Russia for the use of chemical weapons, with options ranging from sanctions against oligarchs to extreme measures aimed at the country's sovereign debt.
British officials reportedly plan to insist that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) continues to pressure Russia to provide answers about its use of banned substances, and will discuss possible measures with key European allies in the coming weeks. including France and Germany, according to the data of one of the interlocutors of the publication.
The Biden administration announced the first sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, punishing the Kremlin for poisoning and imprisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The punishment coincides with the sanctions imposed by the European Union and Great Britain, mainly against high-ranking employees of Russian law enforcement agencies and other persons associated with President Vladimir Putin.
The United States is expected to strictly adhere to the 1991 Chemical Weapons Act, and the first will be followed by a second, more extensive package of sanctions if Russia does not meet certain conditions, according to people familiar with the matter. These include assurances that it will refrain from using such weapons and allow inspections of suspected chemical weapons facilities.
British officials are discussing new measures with their American colleagues. One person said that one of the incentives for additional steps may be that Russia will continue to obstruct the investigation into Navalny's poisoning.
According to sources, the US may increase pressure on Russia by introducing sanctions against oligarchs in power, in accordance with the Magnitsky Act, which gives the US president the right to punish people for human rights violations or corruption.
But if Russia is found to have committed another serious violation of the international ban on chemical weapons, US President Joe Biden will consider imposing sanctions on the country's sovereign debt if it is done in cooperation with Europe, two of the sources said.
