US says in contact with Russia over JBS ransomware attack

WASHINGTON, Jun 2 (PRIME) -- The U.S. is in contact with Moscow regarding a hacker attack at major meat producer JBS, which says the ransom demand came allegedly from Russia, the White House’s representative Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing late Tuesday.

“JBS notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. So, the White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals,” Jean-Pierre said.

JBS USA is a unit of Brazil’s JBS SA, the world’s largest meat producer.

When asked if there is any rethinking of the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in two weeks after the ransomware attack, Jean-Pierre said that U.S. President Joe Biden is meeting with Putin “because of our country’s differences, not in spite of them.”

“There’s a lot we have to work through. President Biden is the most effective communicator of American values and priorities, and hearing directly from President Putin is the most effective way to understand what Russia plans and intends,” she said.

“There is no substitute – right? – for a leader-to-leader engagement, particularly for complex relationships. So it is important for President Biden to sit down with President Putin, face to face, to be clear about where we are, to understand where he is, to try to manage differences and to identify areas where we can make progress,” she said.

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