WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of the lead authors of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), issued the following statement on the White House acknowledgement of Russian cyberattacks.

“My report on Vladimir Putin’s asymmetric assault on democratic institutions examined the threat posed by the Kremlin’s use of cyberattacks against individuals, democratic institutions, business and infrastructure. The report highlighted the relentless cyberattacks over recent years against Ukraine. The Administration’s acknowledgement of the ‘Not Petya’ attack is a welcome first step towards addressing the Kremlin’s behavior, but now it must take action and impose the sanctions mandated by Congress through the CAATSA sanctions law. Administration action is long overdue, as is presidential acknowledgment of Russia’s attacks on our own democratic institutions during the 2016 elections and their continuing efforts to use cyber tools and propaganda to promote discord in this country.”

The Cardin report detailing Russian president Vladimir Putin’s nearly two decades-long assault on democratic institutions, universal values, and the rule of law across Europe and in his own country can be downloaded here.

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