Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Bill Keating, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber, issued the following statement in response to President Biden imposing new sanctions against Russia for its harmful foreign activities:

“We welcome the Biden administration’s announcement today regarding additional actions taken against Russia. These send a strong signal that the U.S. will not tolerate Russian malign activities against the United States or our partners, including their malicious cyber activity, their encouragement of Taliban attacks against U.S. and coalition personnel in Afghanistan, or their aggressive posture towards Ukraine.

“While engagement with Russia at the highest levels is important, we must never ignore unacceptable attacks against our democratic processes, American troops, and on our strategic infrastructure. It is critical that Putin understand that such actions will be addressed and responded to accordingly.

“Importantly, the Biden Administration is coordinating with like-minded partners on a reliable, safe, and open cyber space. We look forward to supporting those efforts through the Committee’s work, including through the Cyber Security Act of 2021.

“The sanctions regarding Russia’s occupation of Ukraine were executed in coordination and cooperation with our friends and allies: The European Union, NATO, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. We are encouraged to once again see a return of U.S. leadership on the international stage.”

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