Washington — President Biden mentioned on Monday that he’s thinking about more sanctions against Russia following the death of Russian critic Alexey Navalny.

“We already have sanctions, but we are considering additional sanctions, yes,” Mr. Biden shared with the press as he made his way back to the White House from a trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

This past Friday, Mr. Biden pointed fingers at Russian President Vladimir Putin for Navalny’s death. He stated that while the U.S. doesn’t have all the details, it’s clear that Putin and his crew are to blame.

According to Russian jail officials, Navalny passed away last Friday. They reported that he started feeling sick after a stroll and then quickly passed out.

His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, now living outside Russia, claimed on Monday that the authorities are “hiding his body” and “refusing to give it to his mother.” She’s pointing fingers at the Kremlin, saying they poisoned her husband and are now stalling to hand over his body so the poison traces can vanish.

The U.S. has already slapped a bunch of tough sanctions on Russian officials, organizations, and companies since it invaded Ukraine two years back.

On being questioned about ramping up sanctions against Russia last Friday, Mr. Biden mentioned to the media that he’s looking at “a whole number of options.”

He’s also highlighting Navalny’s death to show the danger from Russia and is pushing Congress to give more money to Ukraine. But on Monday, Mr. Biden said he wasn’t sure if this would make House Republicans vote for more aid to Ukraine. 

“I hope so, but I’m not sure anything’s going to change their minds,” he said, adding that Republicans are “making a big mistake not responding.”