Security News > 2021 > July > Biden Tells Putin Russia Must Crack Down on Cybercriminals
The warning to Putin was largely a repetition of the tough rhetoric Biden had used during their meeting in Geneva last month, when he warned that there would be consequences for continuing cyberattacks emanating from Russia.
The dual prongs of the agenda show how even as Biden pledges to get tough on Russia over hacking, there's an inherent desire to avoid aggravating tensions as the administration looks for Russia to cooperate, or at least not interfere, with U.S. actions in other areas, including Syria, the Afghanistan withdrawal and climate change.
In his call with Putin, besides reiterating the need for Russia to take action and that the U.S. stands ready to act in response, Biden also "Emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware," the White House said.
Biden told reporters that the U.S. and Russia have "Set up a means of communication now on a regular basis to be able to communicate with one another when each of us thinks something is happening in another country that affects the home country. And so it went well. I'm optimistic."
The Kremlin statement also noted that Biden and Putin touched on the situation in Syria "With a special emphasis on humanitarian aspects" and "Gave a positive assessment of coordination of Russian and U.S. efforts on the issue, including in the U.N. Security Council."
The Biden administration took office on the heels of a massive cyberespionage campaign known as SolarWinds that U.S. officials have linked to Russian intelligence operatives.