New U.S. sanctions on Russia will worsen the two countries’ already fraught relations and compel the Kremlin to respond to what it will perceive as an escalation. On April 15, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on Russian financial markets, individuals and entities in response to Russia’s involvement in the 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack, attempted interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and ongoing occupation of Crimea. These new sanctions follow those that the United States and European Union imposed in March over Russia’s attempted assassination and subsequent jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. At the time, the Biden administration pledged to impose separate penalties for grievances specific to the United States, including the SolarWinds cyberattack and election interference....
