'Leave now': White House warns Americans in Russia as Biden prepares Navalny sanctions

[Tom of Temecula]

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby is reportedly telling Americans in Russia to leave as the Biden administration prepares to unveil strong sanctions in response to the death of Russian political prisoner Alexei Navalny.

Kirby also pressed House Republicans to pass critical foreign aid legislation to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia. His reinforcement of the existing Level 4 "Do Not Travel" Advisory also comes after last Friday's revelation that Russia may be preparing nuclear weapons for space.

"At President Biden's direction, we will be announcing a major sanctions package on Friday of this week to hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr Navalny," Kirby told reporters Tuesday, AFP reports. "Whatever story the Russian government decides to tell the world, it's clear President Putin and his government are responsible for Mr Navalny's death."

"If the Ukrainians aren't better supplied," Kirby also said, "if they don't get a relief from the shortage of ammunition that they are suffering right now, this move on Avdiivka could actually have a larger effect on the fighting in the east and the amount of territory that the Russians might be able to get over time." Veteran foreign policy journalist Laura Rozen reports Kirby also said that standing up to Putin was the strongest action that the U.S. could take.

https://www.rawstory.com/leave-now-white-house-warns-americans-in-russia-as-biden-prepares-navalny-sanctions/

[elocs]

1. Anyone too stupid to leave, well, you're on your own. n/t

[Tom of Temecula]

2. Is Tucker still there?

[Lovie777]

6. I wish................

[mountain grammy]

12. Ha.. my first thought.

[Raven123]

3. Leave now? Why is any American there?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Working or studying. Staying becuase of family.

[DURHAM D]

4. Do we still have a fully staffed Embassy there? nt

[DURHAM D]

5. Is Proctor & Gamble still there? nt

[Lovie777]

7. Well Putin have invited all a lot of the ME terrorist to visit..............................

beautiful Russia.

[Gore1FL]

8. Nuclear weapons in space seems like an expensive way to have less capability than ground-based nukes.

I realize nukes in space isn't the main detail of the article, but it stuck out as a weird thing.

[iscooterliberally]

11. I just saw this on Youtube last night regarding the nukes in space issue.

?si=GFWz4s0c_P4FfLio

[Xolodno]

15. From what I read...

...its less about taking out a satellite as several countries already know how to do this. But more of a very strong EMP weapon that can override many if not all current satellite's shielding from it.

And it would also most likely be used in a scorched earth policy. If Russia believed its destruction was inevitable, in addition to making North America and Europe a nuclear wasteland, they would wipe out any ability to use satellite's for communication, coordination, etc. Literally sending us to the stone age.

Fun Times!

[Cha]

10. TY Pres Biden!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

13. Dear President Biden: Is it time to force the House to convene?

[SleeplessinSoCal]

14. Is there or isn't there an end run around Congress for Ukraine funding?

I recall there was from sometime.

"Harris says 'there is only Plan A' for Ukraine aid. Zelenskyy says he's counting on it"

https://www.npr.org/2024/02/17/1232247360/kamala-harris-ukraine-zelenskyy

[DemocratInPa]

16. Honest question...

Do Sanctions really do anything?

A lot of people thought the sanctions would hurt them when they were sanctions for Ukraine and they are still fighting in Ukraine.

[Xolodno]

18. Well, we've been sanctioning Cuba and Iran for like 50 years...

...and they keep saying "any day now their regime will collapse".

Quick Econ lesson, all they do is make the target nation more self sufficient. The idea of trade is so you can utilize comparative advantages to gain goods and services at a more beneficial price. Without that, you just make them more expensive, nothing else. Often the populace results to substitute goods and services and at times develop new industries that results in no need for certain trade goods.

So your average Muscovite may not be able to get a Pepsi on the open market, but Red Square Cola may develop a knock off that comes pretty close and perhaps one day even cheaper and thus, no need for Pepsi anymore.

[BannonsLiver]

23. If buying soda pop were all that mattered in life

You would have a point. But alas, even in Russia life is more complicated. Economic sanctions are a middle ground between war, and nothing, which is what you seem to be advocating for.

Now, it’s time for a soda.

[Xolodno]

25. If its intended as a middle ground, then say so.

But the trope "it will bring down the regime" is nonsense. In most cases, it causes the populace to rally with the government. Laws of unintended consequences....

Going to grab a Coke.

[NickB79]

17. My boss's boss went to Russia 10 days ago

His wife is from there, and her father is dying of cancer. He's not due back for another week at least.

Oh yeah, and apparently his dad did intelligence work for the US government back in the 60's and 70's that involved learning to speak Russian, which is why he became fluent in it as well, following in Dad's footsteps 🤔 He then worked in Russia in the 90's trying to get their food processing industry updated, which is how he met his wife.

He better get his ass home ASAP.

[Xolodno]

20. There's not much left to sanction, so I'm guessing...

...we might be downgrading our embassy and expelling Russian diplomats here. Which translates to even less protections for US citizens there. I hope I'm wrong because this would be a bad move, particularly those who are still locked up.

Another option would be to take the frozen Russian assets here (which isn't much by the way) and give them to Ukraine. Which is also not advisable as other nations will take it to mean their assets aren't safe here either and they will begin to slowly pull them out.

I really don't see much else of what could be done. Put Putin on a US Wanted list like we did with Noriega? That will have repercussions as well, Russia isn't Panama. Maybe some symbolic sanctions, but I don't see much else.

[Wicked Blue]

26. We could threaten to pack up TFG and send him there

[Xolodno]

27. That might break a Geneva Convention accord.

Also make us party to a war crime. What the hell, lets do it.

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. The Evangelical family with 9 kids who

Arrived there 3 days ago and all their assets were frozen and it's been a nightmare .

They will probably end up hostages.

[Retrograde]

21. They're Canadian FWIW

not our problem- although there are probably some US citizens in Russia who can’t imagine anything bad happening to them

[Aristus]

22. They can protest this, right?

Don't the Russians have the freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances?

Oh wait. No. That's us.

Nevermind.

[Hekate]

24. KnR