U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, representing the Department of State (DOS), issued a statement on the eve of the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He affirmed that the U.S. government remains unwavering in its commitment to assist Ukraine.

Blinken stated, "Putin’s war threatens not only Ukraine, but also the security of the United States, our NATO Allies, and the free and open international order we depend on. It is imperative that we defend the basic rules that have undergirded peace, security and prosperity since the end of World War II, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right of states to choose their own future."

According to a DOS news release, the U.S. government has assembled a federation comprising 50 countries, including all G7 and NATO members. This coalition aims to safeguard democratic nations. The announcement follows closely on a new round of sanctions imposed on Russia due to Aleksey Navalny's death.

President Biden recently met with Navalny’s widow and daughter, Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya respectively, in San Francisco to express his condolences. Navalny was a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin who was serving a 19-year prison sentence when he unexpectedly passed away in his cell last week.

National Security Spokesman John Kirby said, "We sanctioned over 500 targets to impose additional costs for Russia’s repression, for their human rights abuses, and, of course, for their aggression inside Ukraine. These include a major cog in Russia’s financial infrastructure; more than two dozen third-country sanctions evaders in Europe, East Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East; and hundreds of entities in Russia’s military industrial base and other key sectors to cut off funding for Putin’s war machine." Kirby added that "The Department of State is also designating three Russian individuals who are connected to Navalny’s imprisonment and the Russian government’s harsh treatment of him."