Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly condemn the recently reported Russian cyber attacks on United States, United Kingdom and Canadian COVID-19 research centers.
As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Vladimir Putin’s regime has once again lived up to its reputation for lawlessness and cynicism by targeting vaccine research and development organizations with “the intention of stealing information and intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines,” as assessed by U.S., British and Canadian intelligence agencies.
Sadly, neither this appalling cyber attack, nor the pitiful Kremlin denials which followed, are too surprising to those of us who watch Russia closely.
As a Member of the U.S. Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe–the OSCE PA–and Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security, I regularly participate in difficult discussions with Russian political leaders about Moscow’s geopolitical misconduct. The Kremlin’s campaign across the OSCE space and beyond is aimed at destabilizing and undermining the international order by any means necessary, to include the invasion and occupation of OSCE participating States, the assassination of political opponents abroad, disinformation and more. On July 7, 2020, I communicated directly to the OSCE PA which included the presence of the Russian head of delegation how seriously the United States is taking reports of Russian monetary bounties to Taliban-linked insurgents for the killing of American and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan. The fact of Kremlin support to the Taliban had already surfaced in a hearing of the United States Helsinki Commission which I chaired on June 12, 2019, in open testimony by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia Michael Carpenter.
Madam Speaker, I will continue to work with colleagues here at home and across the Atlantic to ensure the Kremlin’s bald faced denials of its malign actions are countered, and that Vladimir Putin’s regime faces the appropriate consequences for its actions. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has proven time and again its value as a forum to counter disinformation and foster cooperation to counter common threats. A result of these most recent reports, I intend to advocate for that body to prioritize results-oriented discussions on state-sponsored cyber attacks in our region in its upcoming work session.
Madam Speaker, please join me in condemning the Kremlin’s latest despicable actions.
