WASHINGTON: The United States announced sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats on Thursday in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin’s US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity.

President Joe Biden’s broadside against Russia came the same week as he offered to meet President Vladimir Putin for their first summit — a meeting US officials say remains “vital” so that the two countries can deescalate.

In Warsaw, the Polish foreign ministry said the government had expelled three Russian diplomats over “hostile actions” by Moscow.

The three embassy staff members were declared personae non gratae because of a “violation of diplomatic status and carrying out activities to the detriment” of Poland.

The ministry added in the statement that Warsaw “expresses its full solidarity with the decisions taken by the United States... regarding its policy towards Russia”.

In his executive order, Biden widened restrictions on US banks trading in Russian government debt, expelled 10 diplomats who include alleged spies, and sanctioned 32 individuals accused of meddling in the 2020 presidential election. Biden’s order “sends a signal that the United States will impose costs in a strategic and economically impactful manner on Russia if it continues or escalates its destabilizing international action,” the White House said in a statement.

The Kremlin said that sanctions would not “help” momentum for a summit and once the White House unveiled its measures, the Russian foreign ministry warned a Russian response was “inevitable.” The latest tension comes against a backdrop of longterm anger in Washington at Russian election meddling and worries both in the United States and its European allies over Russia’s recent troop build up on the border of Ukraine.

The almost fatal poisoning and ongoing imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, who is effectively the last open political opponent to Putin, has further spiked concerns in the West.

A senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters that Washington was ready to impose more measures if necessary and also that additional actions are already in place but “will remain unseen.” Despite this, the official stressed that Washington is seeking deescalation and wants the proposed Biden-Putin summit to go ahead.

“We do not desire a downward spiral,” the official said. “In the coming months it will be vital for the two leaders to sit down to discuss the full range of issues facing our relationship.”

After Donald Trump’s mixed signals to Russia — and accusations that the Republican even seemed intent on shielding Putin from criticism — the Democratic chair of the Senate foreign relations committee cheered Biden’s approach.

“The Biden administration’s tough approach towards the Kremlin is a welcome departure from four years of Donald Trump’s pandering to Putin,” Senator Bob Menedez aid.

“It is reassuring and frankly a relief to have president willing to clearly call Putin what he is — a killer, a military aggressor in Ukraine, a source of malign influence, a cyber threat.”

The sanctions are designed to hurt Russia’s economy by making it harder to raise money on international markets. Starting June 14, US banks will be barred from buying government bonds directly from the Russian central bank, the finance ministry or sovereign wealth fund.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2021