Biden said during statements to the White House that he told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call earlier in the week that he could have gone further with the measures. While he wanted to avoid escalating tensions, Biden made it clear he will not hesitate to take further action in the future.
“We cannot allow a foreign power to interfere with impunity in our democratic process,” Biden said.
The president said the US “does not want to start a cycle of escalation and conflict in Russia. We want a stable and predictable relationship” before issuing a warning: “If Russia continues to interfere with our democracy, we are ready to take further action. to answer “.
Biden did offer an olive branch, referring to the summit he has proposed with the Russian leader which he hopes will take place later this summer in Europe.
“Now is the time to de-escalate,” he said. “The way forward is through reflective dialogue and a diplomatic process.”
As part of Thursday’s announcement, the United States formally designated Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service as the force behind the SolarWinds hacking that affected the federal government and large areas of the private sector. The White House also said it was expelling ten Russian diplomats from Washington, including “representatives of the Russian intelligence services,” for hacking and electoral intrusion.
The Biden administration prevents US financial institutions from participating in the primary market of bonds issued by the Russian central bank and other leading financial institutions. The United States is also sanctioning six Russian technology companies that support the Russian intelligence services’ cyber program, as well as 32 entities and individuals to carry out “attempts led by the Russian government to influence the 2020 US presidential election. “, said the administration in a fact sheet. Eight other people and entities are being sanctioned for “Russia’s continued occupation and repression in Crimea.”
It is unclear to what extent changes in the Biden administration will change Putin’s behavior. Biden did not respond directly if the Russian president gave him any indication that he was willing to change, but he told CNN’s Phil Mattingly that he urged Putin to “respond appropriately.”
“We indicated that we would talk about it,” Biden said in response to Mattingly’s question about Putin’s attitude.
“I have urged him to respond appropriately, not to overcome it because we can also move. My hope and hope is that we will be able to work out the modus vivendi, but it is important that we have direct conversations and continue to be in touch with,” he added. Biden.
The president stressed that there are places where the United States and Russia can work together. He cited the new START treaty between the two nations and the work “to curb the nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea, end this global pandemic and address the existential crisis of climate change.”
“It is in the interest of the United States to work with Russia, we should do it and we will do it. When Russia wants to violate the interests of the United States, we will respond. We will always be in defense of our country, our institutions, our people and our allies, ”Biden said.
The White House has also addressed the omission of sanctions against Russia on other issues.
Ahead of the possible summer summit, Biden could attend meetings with Putin next week. The Russian president is among the dozens of world leaders invited to a virtual summit on climate change organized by the White House.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) rejected the US intelligence determination that was responsible for the SolarWinds hacking, Russia’s state news agency reported on Thursday.
A statement released before Biden’s statements was signed by the SVR’s press chief and was titled “Cinema and It’s Over,” a gesture the SVR considers the U.S. intelligence assessment to be a work of art. of fiction. TASS reported that the SVR considers the U.S. determination to be “absurd” and “absurd”.
This story has been updated with additional reports.
CNN’s Maegan Vazquez, Zahra Ullah and Olga Pavlova contributed to this report.