US President Joe Biden, with US Vice President Kamala Harris (L), talks about foreign policy at the State Department in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2021.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
President Joe Biden warned Moscow on Thursday that the United States will not hesitate to increase the cost to Russia and defend American interests in its first major foreign policy speech since taking office.
“I have made it very clear to President Putin, in a very different way from my predecessor, that the days of the United States in the face of aggressive Russian actions, interfering in our elections, cyber attacks, poisoning its citizens, are over,” said Biden.
“We will not hesitate to increase the cost to Russia and defend our vital interests and our people, and we will be more effective in dealing with Russia when we work in coalition and coordination with other partners with similar ideas,” said the president.
Biden called for the release of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who was arrested in Moscow last month and sentenced to more than two years in prison. Navalny was poisoned last year and spent months recovering in Germany. He blames the Kremlin for the poisoning.
“Mr. Navalny, like all Russian citizens, is entitled to his rights under the Russian constitution,” said Biden. “He has been the subject of a report of corruption and should be released immediately and without conditions.”
Navalny’s arrest has sparked massive protests across Russia in the past two weekends. Thousands of protesters were arrested by the Russian police.
“Russian efforts to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are a matter of deep concern for us and the international community,” said Biden.
The Biden government faces growing pressure to impose sanctions on Russia for Navalny’s poisoning. The United Kingdom and the European Union imposed sanctions last year.
The White House is analyzing other issues related to Russia, including the hacking of SolarWinds, reports of rewards placed by Russia on American forces in Afghanistan and potential interference in the elections and will determine its response based on its findings.