New cyber-attack could strain relations between Washington and Moscow

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden met with his national security team to draw up a plan to respond to the recent cyber-attacks against the firm Kaseya. The attacks against the US company have already affected more than 1,500 international companies. In Sweden, for example, more than 800 shops of the Coop supermarket chain had to close because the cash registers did not work. In Sweden, problems were also reported at a railway and a pharmacy. In New Zealand, several schools and kindergartens were affected. John Hammond, a researcher at cybersecurity company Huntress Labs, described the attack as "colossal and devastating". "Kaseya handles large and small businesses globally, so ultimately it has the potential to spread to businesses of any size or scale," Hammond said. On the other hand, as Biden stated, this cyberattack caused "minimal damage" to the United States.

Huntress Labs pointed to the Russian-linked REvil group as the culprit behind the attack. Last month, the FBI accused the group of crippling Brazilian meat company JBS. "The initial thought was that it wasn't the Russian government, but we're not sure yet," Biden said a few days ago. However, in the meeting with the national security team, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki assured that if the Russian government is unable or unwilling to take action against criminal actors residing in Russia, they will take action or reserve the right to act on their own. Psaki also announced a meeting next week between senior US and Russian officials to discuss these threats. Biden, for his part, said he would send a letter to Putin. "The president has a range of options if he decides to act," Psaki added.

This new cyber-attack and these meetings come just under a month after Vladimir Putin's statement denying his relationship with possible hackers in the country. "We are accused of many things. Of interference in elections, of cyber-attacks. But they have never, not once, taken the trouble to present any kind of testimonies or evidence. These are just unfounded accusations," the Russian president said. Putin also added that he was ready to cooperate with other countries in this area. "Everything that causes fear for the United States can also represent a danger for us," he stressed.

Despite Moscow's declarations that it intends to disassociate itself from the cyberattack, this event could further strain US-Russian relations. Washington has repeatedly accused Russia of election interference and cyber attacks. In addition to the electronic confrontations, the US, along with other NATO countries, is conducting military manoeuvres in the Black Sea, creating a serious dispute with Russia.

This cyberattack could also provoke further sanctions from Washington. Russia is currently subject to sanctions for its 'cyber-espionage campaigns, attempts to influence elections and other aggression'. In March, Biden also imposed economic punishments on several Russian officials in connection with the poisoning of political opponent Alexei Navalny. However, the two leaders met in Geneva in June to try to bring the two sides closer together, although little concrete progress was made. Navalny and Ukraine were the main points of disagreement between the political leaders, while the fight against hackers achieved some cooperation. Putin retreated that most attacks come from the US and other countries, recalling that fighting them is "extremely important" for both Washington and Moscow.