Joe Biden threatens new sanctions against Russia after the mysterious death of his opponent Alexei Navalni

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, assured this on Monday is “considering further sanctions” against Russia after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison.

“There are already sanctions, but we are considering additional sanctions, yes,” the US president told reporters. who directly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “thugs” for Navalni’s death.

Navalny died on Friday under unknown circumstances at the age of 47 in a Russian Arctic prison, in an event that shocked the exiled Russian opposition.

Biden and other Western allies have already imposed unprecedented sanctions to curb Moscow’s actions in the war with Ukraine, although they have failed to stop the conflict.

However, Doubts have recently increased about Washington’s future commitment to Kiev. With U.S. funding already exhausted, former President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the House of Representatives have blocked $60 billion in new military aid.

Trump, the party’s likely nominee in November’s presidential election, opposes aid to Ukraine and recently used his influence to reject an immigration reform bill that also included further assistance to Kiev.

Biden He attacked Republicans again this Monday for the failure to approve the aid package.

“The way they turn away from the threat of Russia, the way they turn away from NATO, the way they turn away from fulfilling our obligations, is just shocking,” he said.

However, he assured that he would be happy to meet with Republican leader Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives, who told reporters he has no intention of allowing even a vote on the project.

“Of course I would like to meet him, if he has something to say”Biden said.

He added that he hoped Navalny’s death would make a difference when it comes to approving aid, but cautioned that he was “not sure.”

The body, another 14 days

The Russian opposition group of collaborators said Monday that investigators They will carry out an “expert” examination of your body for at least 14 days.

Russia reported Navalny’s death on Friday and, since then, his mother was denied the opportunity to see the body.

“Investigators told Alexei’s lawyers and mother that they would not hand over the body and that in the next 14 days they will carry out chemical analysis, an examination,” opposition spokesperson Kira Yarmish said on YouTube on Monday.

“For at least two weeks they will do some sort of check”She said.

“I say it once again: Navalni’s body is hidden to hide the traces of the murder. This ‘clinical analysis’ lasted fourteen days that’s a big lie and a mockery,” the spokesperson said in a statement published on the X network.

Navalni’s mother, Liudmila, went on Saturday to the Arctic prison colony, where her son was imprisoned, but they did not allow her access to the morgue where, according to what she was told, the opponent’s body is located .

On Monday the Kremlin announced that an investigation into Navalny’s death was underway but that, for now, This yielded no “results”.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that what happens to Navalni’s body or when it is handed over is not the Kremlin’s responsibility.