ANKARA

US President Joe Biden told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take action against ransomware groups in Russia, the White House said in a statement on Friday.

The leaders spoke about "the ongoing ransomware attacks by criminals based in Russia that have impacted the US and other countries around the world," the statement said.

Biden stressed the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in the country and emphasized that he is committed to continue engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware groups.

"President Biden reiterated that the US will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge," it added.

The two leaders also "commended the joint work of their respective teams following the US-Russia Summit that led to the unanimous renewal of cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria today in the UN Security Council," it said.

Biden told Putin on June 16 that certain critical infrastructure should be off-limits to cyberattacks, such as the one on Colonial Pipeline that disrupted crude oil carried to the US eastern states.