(CNN) –– The government of President Joe Biden would announce this Thursday sanctions against individuals and entities in Russia, in addition to the expulsion of up to a dozen Russian diplomats from the US, in response to the hack SolarWinds and election interference, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
Another source with knowledge of the matter told CNN that the administration is expected to take action against Russia on Thursday. And he added that the action is being coordinated with the European allies.
The sanctions will be against intelligence and government officials, as well as entities, involved in the cyber intrusion of SolarWinds, according to sources.
These actions will be implemented through a decree by President Joe Biden, in addition to sanctions coordinated with the State Department and the Treasury Department, according to US officials. For their part, State Department officials have called on allies of United States and prepare for possible Russian responses.
It is not clear whether these sanctions will be enough to change Russia’s behavior, the sources added.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The relationship of the US and Russia
The Biden administration vowed to respond to Russia’s aggressions against the United States and its allies in the first days of his tenure. Biden confronted Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during his first phone call on a number of issues. From a recent massive cyberattack to the alleged poisoning of the country’s leading opposition figure, Alexey Navalny. Additionally, the administration has already implemented penalties for Navalny’s incarceration and poisoning.
The counterattack on Russia also occurs as the Biden administration tries to keep diplomatic communication channels open and to work with Russia when it is in the interest of the United States. Biden showed that approach this week when he proposed a summit with Putin during his second phone call.
The US government also recently decided to keep the country’s ambassador to Russia, appointed by former President Donald Trump, in office in the near future and invited Putin to a conference on climate change later this month.
CNN’s Alex Marquardt contributed to this report.
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