What Happened
The European Union and the United States announced coordinated sanctions against Russian officials and commercial entities related to the poisoning and jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, AP reported March 2.

Why It Matters
The announcements come amid the ongoing standoff between the West and Russia over Navalny. While the intended effect is likely more symbolic, the sanctions will nonetheless further strain Washington and Brussels’ relations with Moscow. Indeed, in advance of the EU and U.S. announcements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Moscow would respond in kind to any sanctions.

Background
The European Union imposed travel bans and asset freezes on four top Russian government officials, while the United States announced that it is taking similar measures against seven senior Russian government officials. The United States also said it was imposing export restrictions on a Russian research center and nine commercial entities inside Russia that are involved in biological and chemical research, along with three similar entities in Germany and one in Switzerland.