The United States prepares more sanctions against Russia in the case of Navalny

Academic: Putin and Biden could take up arms issue 2:34

(CNN) -

The Biden administration is preparing to impose additional sanctions on Russia for the poisoning of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday.

"We are preparing another package of sanctions to apply in this case," Sullivan told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union."

"We have shown at all times that we are not going to make concessions, either on SolarWinds, or on election interference, or on Navalny when it comes to responding to Russia's damaging activities."

Sullivan said the sanctions will come once the US can "make sure we are targeting the right targets," adding: "When we do, we will impose more sanctions on chemical weapons."

• Five conclusions from the summit between Biden and Putin

Sullivan's comments come days after President Joe Biden's three-hour summit in Geneva with Russian President Vladimir Putin, culminating his first overseas tour since taking office.

Both Biden and Putin described the meeting as generally positive, but without any major breakthrough.

And Biden, who has since returned to his schedule at home, has said that the proof of progress with Russia will come later, when the results of his diplomacy are confirmed.

Biden said last week that during his meeting he warned Putin of the consequences of Navalny dying in prison, telling reporters: "I made it clear to him that I think the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia."

Biden's warning to Putin about Navalny 0:41

The Biden government in March imposed a series of sanctions on Russian officials and entities for poisoning and imprisonment.

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The actions, carried out in coordination with the European Union, which has also imposed sanctions, represent the first significant measure against Moscow since Biden took office.

• Six keys about the US sanctions against Russia

To Bash's question later in the interview about whether there will be action against China while the United States investigates the origins of COVID-19, Sullivan said: "At this time we are not going to make threats or issue an ultimatum."

"What we are going to do is continue to seek support from the international community," Sullivan said.

"And if it turns out that China refuses to comply with its international obligations, we will have to consider our responses at that time, and we will do so in concert with allies and partners."

Sullivan also referred to the election of the ultra-conservative judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi to the presidency in Iran, saying that it probably would not have a major impact on nuclear negotiations with the country because the supreme leader did not change.

The United States, Sullivan said, is "showing Iran that if it decides not to negotiate in good faith and resume its nuclear obligations, it will not only be the United States but the international community that isolates them."

He added: “America's national security interests do not change.

Our national security interest is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

We believe that diplomacy, and not military action, is the best way to achieve this.

Covid-19 Elections in Iran US National Security Vladimir Putin