Allies of Navalny Call for Sanctions on Putin’s Associates Following Death of Opposition Leader

Allies of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny are calling for additional Western sanctions on members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and wealthy oligarchs in response to Navalny’s death in February. Navalny’s team and his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, have accused Putin of ordering his murder, although the Kremlin denies any involvement.

Navalny’s allies argue that Putin must be held accountable for what happened to Navalny, stating, “Vladimir Putin bears personal responsibility for the murder of Alexei Navalny, and our task is to seize every opportunity to respond to this heinous crime.” They have proposed targeting individuals close to Putin with sanctions that would have a significant impact on the Russian president.

The lists published by Navalny’s team include members of Putin’s inner circle, wealthy businessmen, government officials, and individuals previously investigated by Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. Some of the prominent figures mentioned in the lists are Roman Abramovich, Vladimir Potanin, and Leonid Mikhelson, as well as government officials like Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina.

While many of these individuals are already sanctioned by Western countries, Navalny’s team believes that targeting Putin’s “corrupt money” and creating discord between the president and Russian oligarchs could be an effective strategy. They argue that Putin may not care about the suffering of ordinary people, but he cannot ignore the fate of the oligarchs who support him.

The EU recently imposed new sanctions on Russian officials over human rights violations related to Navalny’s death, but Navalny’s team believes that more targeted measures are needed to hold Putin accountable for the murder of their leader.