Ex-ambassador to Russia on new sanctions: Why did it take an assassination?

Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said although he is happy President Biden announced more than 500 sanctions against Russia, he questions why it took the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to do so.

McFaul, who served as ambassador from 2012 to 2014, applauded Biden for imposing sanctions on Russia during an interview with MSNBC.

He was particularly a fan of the sanctions against third parties, which he said were “needed to stop the flow of technology into Russia that goes directly into the military-industrial complex to build the missiles that kill Ukrainians.”

“Number two, I hope they’ll announce another package next Friday,” he continued. “Why does it take an event like the assassination of Mr. Navalny to do these sanctions? These could have been done two years ago, and I think we need to change our mentality about sanctions.”

Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition, died in prison last week. The Biden administration has blamed Russia’s government for the death. Russia has said Navalny died of natural causes.

In an interview last week, McFaul said it was “crystal clear” that Putin had killed Navalny.

McFaul, a friend of Navalny’s, argued that sanctions on Russia need to be “like parking tickets,” where consequences compound over time.

Individuals connected to Navalny’s imprisonment will also be sanctioned, Biden said. The president met with Navalny’s widow and daughter Thursday in California.