As Russia continues to reinforce border lines with troops and artillery, President Biden has agreed to an “in principle” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of discussing a de-escalation of the growing tension.
Jen Psaki, White House Secretary, stated, “President Biden accepted an in principle meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasn’t happened. We are always ready for diplomacy.”
New CNBC reports estimate around 190,000 Russian troops are stationed near the northern and eastern borders.
The FBI’s February 20 Liason Information Report obtained by Newsweek shows the FBI is preparing for potential cyber attacks against the United States private sector after the U.S. blamed Russia for the recent attacks on Ukrainian web spaces.
Russia opposed these claims, however, as the embassy tweeted, “We categorically reject these baseless statements of the administration and note that Russia has nothing to do with the mentioned events.” They added that Russia has never committed any “malicious” cyberattacks and does not intend to execute future attacks.
The Department of Homeland Security has advised local governments and infrastructure companies to beware of possible weaknesses in their online systems. From the DOHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly has noted that recent cyberattacks have caused concerns within the agency about the safety of the private sector.
According to Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger, from pipelines to hospitals, much of the U.S.’s computer systems could be vulnerable. She added, “While there are currently no specific or credible cyber threats to the homeland, the U.S. government has been preparing for potential geopolitical contingencies since before Thanksgiving.”
President Biden was forced to postpone his trip back to Delaware to appear at an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting that reportedly lasted around two hours. It is a rare occurrence for the White House to hold an NSC meeting on a Sunday.
Afterward, CNBC wrote that Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron has been attempting to ensure diplomacy between Russia and the Western sphere, speaking with leaders such as Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.