In a statement posted on the Kremlin website, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an initiative for an agreement with the United States for “no first use of cyber strikes against each other.” He said he would like to “address the U.S. with a suggestion to agree on a comprehensive program of practical measures to reboot our relations in the field of security in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).”
This includes: “First. To restore a regular full-scale bilateral interagency high-level dialogue on the key issues of ensuring international information security (IIS).
“Second. To maintain a continuous and effective functioning of the communication channels between competent agencies of our States through Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers, Computer Emergency Readiness Teams and high-level officials in charge of the issues of IIS within the bodies involved in ensuring national security, including that of information.
“Third. To jointly develop and conclude a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on preventing incidents in the information space similarly to the Soviet-American Agreement on the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas in force since 25 May 1972.
“Fourth. To exchange, in a mutually acceptable format, guarantees of non-intervention into internal affairs of each other, including into electoral processes, inter alia, by means of the ICTs and high-tech methods.”
He then sought for “the U.S. to greenlight the Russian-American professional expert dialogue on IIS without making it a hostage to our political disagreements.”
Putin concluded: “These measures are aimed at building up trust between our States, promoting security and prosperity of our peoples. They will significantly contribute to ensuring global peace in the information space. Addressing all countries, including the U.S., we suggest reaching global agreement on a political commitment of States on no-first-strike with the use of ICTs against each other.”
This could be a significant proposal since it comes directly from President Putin and is addressed to the Trump Administration, and therefore President Donald Trump personally. If Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were to make such a proposal, it would go directly to the State Department, where it would certainly be dismissed by Mike Pompeo.
