US slaps sanctions on Russia for election interference and cyber hacks
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The US last night slapped sanctions on Russia in response to “harmful foreign activities” including interference in 2020’s Presidential election.
The White House has targeted the economic punishments against a combination of officials and companies over accusations of cyber attacks and other destabilising activities.
President Joe Biden said that the US had stopped short of imposing fuller sanctions, but warned that he would go further if necessary.
Russia reacted with fury to the latest round of sanctions, with a spokesperson for the foreign ministry saying that “a series of retaliatory measures will follow soon.”
It has always denied interference in last year’s election, as well as orchestrating the Solar Winds hack, which gave cyber criminals access to 18,000 government and private computer networks.
The decision to impose sanctions comes just days after Biden spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin about the build-up of his nation’s forces on the Ukrainian border.
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During the conversation, Biden also proposed a summit with its historical rival. He stressed the attempt at normalising relations when speaking to press yesterday.
“My bottom line is this: There is an interest in the United States to work with Russia. We should and we will.”
Among his moves, Biden signed an executive order authorising the government to impose sanctions on any area of the Russian economy, as well as restricting Russia’s ability to issue sovereign debt to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2020 US election.
Biden barred US banks from taking part in the primary market for rouble-denominated Russian sovereign bonds from June 14, adding to an existing ban on US banks taking part in the primary market for non-rouble sovereign bonds.
The Treasury also blacklisted 32 entities and individuals that it said had carried out Russian government-directed attempts to influence the 2020 presidential election and other “acts of disinformation and interference.”