Day 85: Biden Responds to Russia
United States President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia, expelling diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Washington, D.C. and blocking debt leverage in the primary market.
He’s also calling for training and study in international law as it pertains to cybersecurity and recommendations from the Administration’s Intelligence Community on the reports of Russian government-backed bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan; he admonished the military buildup in Crimea and Ukraine.
The European nation’s Foreign Intelligence Service is alleged to have engaged in cyber espionage, compromising the data of several agencies and upsetting the U.S.’s network supply chain, in addition to election interference.
“Earlier this week, I spoke with President Putin of Russia about the nature of our relationship — the relationship between our two countries. And I was candid and respectful,” Biden said from the White House today.
“…I told him that we would shortly be responding in a measured and proportionate way,” he added, emphasizing disinterest in escalation and even inviting Putin to meet in person for a summit in Europe, this summer. He hopes by then they only need to discuss ending the pandemic, climate change and nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.
“We want a stable, predictable relationship,” Biden said. However, “[i]f Russia continues to interfere with our democracy, I’m prepared to take further actions to respond. It is my responsibility, as President of the United States, to do so.”
Domestically, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for calm ahead of releasing body cam footage today from a fatal police shooting of a 13-year-old, last month.
The nation is still reeling from the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Minnesota — where the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin trial is entering closing arguments, for the death of George Floyd. Lightfoot said Chicago already has plans in place should the Minnesota verdict cause local unrest and she’s prepared to deploy them immediately.
The photo above is of the Gun Violence Memorial placed on the National Mall, yesterday. The 40,000 bouquets of white silk roses were commissioned by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords’ (D-AZ) anti-gun violence nonprofit to represent the number of Americans who die from gun violence each year. Giffords, herself, is a mass shooting survivor.