The House of Representatives passed legislation that bolsters cybersecurity cooperation between the U.S. and Ukraine. The bill compels the State Department to provide support to Ukraine in fortifying its government networks and critical infrastructure.
The bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority – the final vote was 404-3. In addition to strengthening Ukraine’s networks, the bill also helps the country reduce its reliance on Russian technology, and to improve and expand its information sharing efforts. The bill triggers new State Department reporting on the status of U.S. cooperation with Ukraine, and asks it to explore new areas of coordination.
Relations between Russian and Ukraine have become strained in recent years as a pro-Russian authoritarian was overthrown in 2014. Russia has been widely suspected of conducting cyberattacks against the country in 2015 and 2016 that knocked out portions of Ukraine’s power grid.