President Joe Biden issued a warning in a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that the United States will “take any action necessary” to protect America, after a wave of Russia-based hacking against U.S. companies in recent weeks, including a $70 million ransomware attack, and reportedly an attack on the RNC.
“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 says in a published readout of the call.
President Biden “spoke with President Putin about the ongoing ransomware attacks by criminals based in Russia that have impacted the United States and other countries around the world,” the White House adds.
“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.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday afternoon the call lasted about an hour.
The call comes just weeks after President Biden met face-to-face with Putin, and warned him to rein-in the Russian hackers, some of whom are reportedly Russian government actors.