US welcomes EU's announcement regarding cyber sanctions framework

The US on Thursday (local time) welcomed the announcement from the European Union's High Representative Josep Borrell regarding the body's first designations under its cyber sanctions framework.

"The United States and the EU share a vision for open, interoperable, reliable and secure cyberspace, and for responsible behavior on the international stage. Destructive, disruptive, or otherwise destabilizing activities in cyberspace threaten this vision," US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

He stated that the United States supports efforts to promote accountability for bad actors' malicious cyber activities, and the EU's actions today are an important milestone.

"We continue to work with the EU, its member states, and many like-minded countries to promote a framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, underpinned by the applicability of international law, adherence to non-binding peacetime norms, and the development and implementation of practical confidence-building measures," said Pompeo.

According to a Sputnik report, earlier in the day, the European Council introduced first ever restrictive measures against six individuals and three entities of Russia, China and North Korea, which, according to the EU, are responsible for or involved in various cyberattacks. These measures include a travel ban and an asset freeze.