Washington, DC – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and William Keating, Chair of the Europe, Energy, Environment and Cyber Subcommittee, today issued the following statement on the Biden Administration’s announcement of sanctions against Russian individuals responsible for the attempted assassination of Alexei Navalny:

“We welcome today’s announcement that the United States has joined our allies and partners in holding Russia accountable for the attempted assassination and continued persecution of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The people of Russia deserve to chart their own democratic future free of intimidation from Putin and his cronies, a right that they have peacefully taken to the streets to demand.

“These sanctions are not against the Russian people, but are rather targeted at those government officials and entities responsible for the poisoning. It is critical that the international community stand firmly together with one unified voice in condemnation of the Kremlin’s reprehensible use of chemical weapons, repeated attempts to silence political opponents and dissent, and blatant disregard for human rights and the rule of law. After months of inaction and stonewalling by the previous Administration, we are pleased that the Biden Administration is demonstrating resolve to stand up to the Kremlin.”