Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to discuss with his American counterpart Joe Biden at their upcoming summit improving relations between the two countries, considering accusations that Russia is linked to cyber attacks in the United States as an attempt to stir up trouble before the summit.
In his speech at the St. Peters burg Economic Forum, today, Friday, the Russian president said, “We must find a way to organize these relations, which are today at their lowest levels.” Read also US official: Sanctions on Russia have achieved results that are very close to our expectations Lawton: List of 11 countries that Russia considers the axis of evil Between Israel, America and Russia… Who owns the best missile defense systems in the world?
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Putin stressed that “at least the basic interests in the field of security, strategic stability and reduction of dangerous weapons” should be given priority.
Putin considered that the United States wanted to contain his country’s development, and rejected Western criticism of the lack of democracy in Russia, pointing to how the demonstrations were suppressed on January 6, when demonstrators stormed the Congress building, and also to Europe, where “rubber bullets go out the eyes” of the demonstrators.
In a related context, Putin stressed that Moscow is not hiding behind the recent cyber attacks in the United States, speaking of “absurd” and “ridiculous” accusations.
The cyberattack targeted a US meatpacking company, the third such ransomware attack in the country since Biden took office at the beginning of the year, with the company telling the White House that the attack likely came from a Russia-based criminal organization.
The White House said, on Wednesday, that Biden will discuss cyber attacks with Putin at the Geneva summit on June 16, to see what Moscow can do to prevent such incidents.
The summit will come in light of constant tension between the two countries, as well as 3 months before the Russian legislative elections, which Putin preceded with a law banning electoral participation for members of organizations classified as “extremist”, which means excluding the opposition, as Putin’s opponents say.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said that he did not expect a diplomatic “breach”, but he considered that “the holding of talks at the highest level between the two prominent nuclear powers is of course important.”