The United States has publicly blamed Russia for carrying out the so-called NotPetya cyber attack last year that crippled government and business computers in Ukraine before spreading around the world. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the attack in June of 2017 spread worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the Americas. <br/><br/>The statement by the White House came hours after the British government attributed the attack to Russia, a conclusion already reached and made public by many private sector cyber- security experts.<br/>It was part of the Kremlin's ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict, Sanders added. This was also a reckless and indiscriminate cyber attack that will be met with international consequences.<br/>Earlier, Russia yesterday denied an accusation by the British government that it was behind the attack, saying it was part of a Russophobic campaign that it said was being waged by some Western countries.<br/><br/>