The US State Department has set a precondition for the resumption of digital security cooperation with Russia, demanding that Moscow halt its “destabilising cyber activities”.
The executive body also raised concerns over Russia's dealings with Chinese tech company Huawei.
Russia has been repeatedly accused of “malign cyber activities” and interference in other states' internal affairs. Moscow has denied the allegations, citing a lack of evidence to support such claims.
Russia and China have been engaged in talks on cooperation amid pressure on the Chinese tech giant by the United States. Notably, Huawei last month tested Russia's Aurora OS in order to apply it to the company's products instead of Google's Android.
The United States and a number of other nations have been accusing Huawei of stealing commercial information with the help of their gadgets. Moreover, the company has been suspected of working on behalf of the Chinese government.
Huawei has dismissed claims about its alleged cooperation with the authorities and pleaded 'not guilty' to charges of trade secret theft.
In May, the US Department of Commerce blacklisted Huawei Technologies and around 70 of its affiliates, prompting major companies to follow suit and sever ties with the Chinese tech juggernaut.
The pressure on Huawei comes against the backdrop of a trade spat between the United States and China following Trump’s move to slap 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods in a bid to overcome the trade deficit. Since then, the two sides have exchanged several rounds of tariffs.
Correction: Previously it was reported that the suspension of Russia's cooperation with Huawei was a precondition for relaunching a digital security dialogue between Washington and Moscow. However, the report was subsequently retracted.
