US Biden Administration Imposes First Sanctions on Russia... Expels 10 Russian Diplomats

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyeon-jin] On the 15th (local time), the U.S. administration under Joe Biden imposed its first sanctions on Russia. This move was in response to Russia's cyber hacking incidents targeting U.S. federal agencies.

According to CNN and other outlets, President Biden, through an executive order on the same day, sanctioned over 30 institutions and individuals accused of interfering in last year's U.S. presidential election. The order also included the expulsion of 10 individuals, including intelligence officials, from the Russian Embassy in Washington.

The White House stated, "President Biden has signed a sanctions executive order granting strong authority to demonstrate the administration's resolve to respond to and deter Russia's harmful foreign activities overall."

Previously, President Biden had vowed to hold Russia accountable for cyberattacks on U.S. federal agencies. The U.S. has attributed extensive cyberattacks on federal government and private companies, including the software firm SolarWinds hacking, as well as the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to the Russian government. It was anticipated that sanctions and measures related to these incidents would be imposed.