The cyberattack on Brazilian meat supply company JBS, likely orchestrated by Russian-based hackers, could well be part of a flex by Vladimir Putin ahead of the June 16 U.S.-Russia summit.

A Fox News story referenced Putin’s relative insecurity as the driving force behind the hack.

“All of this is Vladimir Putin’s resurgence strategy,” said Daniel Hoffman, a Fox News contributor and former CIA Moscow station chief. “He has to tear down our democracy because it’s a threat to them.”

The hack, which closed down the U.S.-based meat plants of the world’s largest meatpacker, comes on the heels of the successful Russian ransomware assault on Colonial Pipeline that affected fuel supplies in the Southeast and East Coast.

President Biden’s administration said it was not convinced Russia’s government instigated the pipeline cyberattack.

“We do not believe — I emphasize, we do not believe the Russian government was involved in this attack.  But we do have strong reason to believe that criminals who did the attack are living in Russia,” Biden said May 13.

An intelligence expert said the idea of any kind of friendly arrangement with Russia is a waste of time and shouldn’t even be considered. 

Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer for Russia, told Fox News: “The U.S. security apparatus has falsely been imagining that certain things are achievable with Russia, and every single president has tried the so-called ‘reset’ and failed. 

“Because Russia does not view itself as a friend.” 

Reuters reported on Monday that the Kremlin warned of “uncomfortable” signals toward the U.S. ahead of the summit, and the U.S.-Russia relationship isn’t close to improving, regardless of what should come of the meeting.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hoffman, the former Moscow-based CIA station chief, told Fox News. “The Russians have been very active against us forever.”

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