Joe Biden announced several hundred new sanctions on Friday to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin “pays an even greater price for aggression against Ukraine and repression” in Russia, AFP reported.

Joe BidenPhoto: Chris Kleponis / Poole via CNP / SplashNews.com / Splash / Profimedia

“If Putin does not pay the price for the death and destruction he is spreading, he will continue to do so,” the US president warned in a statement marking the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian president “believed that he would easily break the will and courage of a free people. That he can invade a sovereign state and the world will turn his back on him. That it could shake the foundations of security in Europe and other countries. Two years later, it is even more obvious than on the first day: Putin seriously miscalculated,” the 81-year-old Democrat assured, as the aid offered by the United States was stopped, blocked by Republican lawmakers.

Joe Biden announced an arsenal of measures aimed at both individuals connected to the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison, and the Russian military machine, as well as individuals and legal entities that help Moscow avoid sanctions that are already in effect.

The US Treasury had already warned on Thursday that it would be “the largest tranche (of sanctions) since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.”

In his statement, Joe Biden referred to “more than 500 new sanctions” against “individuals associated with Navalny’s imprisonment” as well as against “Russia’s financial sector, defense industry, supply chains and those who evade sanctions on several continents “.

The US will also take measures to restrict exports “against nearly 100 organizations that provide covert support to the Russian military machine.”

“We are taking action to continue cutting revenues from the Russian energy sector and have asked my teams to step up support for civil society, independent media and all those fighting for democracy around the world,” Joe Biden wrote.

The United States and the European Union have already imposed a series of sanctions against Moscow since the start of the war following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The Biden administration regularly reassures Ukraine of its support, but new $60 billion in US military aid is currently blocked in Congress, largely due to opposition from the House Speaker, an ally of Donald Trump.

The US president asked lawmakers to approve this funding as soon as possible “before it’s too late.”

“This is the time to prove that the United States is committed to freedom and will not bow to anyone,” said Joe Biden.