U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday, and discussed cybercriminals acting and humanitarian assistance to Syria.
Biden told Putin that he must “take action” against cybercriminals acting in his country, stressing that he will take "any necessary action" to defend Americans and critical infrastructure threatened by cyberattacks, the White House said.
The phone conversation came less than a month after the two leaders met in Geneva, where Biden warned against continuing cyberattacks on U.S. businesses and infrastructure emanating from Russia.
Biden told reporters that he informed Putin that the U.S. will "expect" the Kremlin "to act on" ransomware attacks coming from Russia, even if they aren't sponsored by the government.
Moreover, reporter asked Biden if there will be consequences, to which he replied: "Yes."
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The White House said “President Biden underscored the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware."
“President Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge,” the White House added.
It also mentioned that the leaders "commended the joint work of their respective teams following the U.S.-Russia Summit that led to the unanimous renewal of cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria today in the UN Security Council."
On the other hand, UN Security Council unanimously approved an extension of activity at the only border crossing through which humanitarian aid reaches a rebel-held part of Syria.
This stemmed from a compromise reached by the United States and Russia, both of which hailed what they called a rare instance of cooperation between them.
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