The intelligence services have so far found no evidence that Putin has adopted measures similar to those allegedly taken by Russia in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections in support of former President Donald Trump, according to several people familiar with the matter and spoke conditionally. anonymity to discuss sensitive findings. But given Putin’s dislike of the West and his repeated complaints about Ukraine, officials say he may see US support for Ukraine’s resistance as a direct insult to him, giving him further incentive to target other US elections. said the people. It is not yet clear which candidates Russia can try to promote or what methods it can use. The assessment comes with the US electoral system already under pressure. The American public remains deeply divided over the recent presidential election and the uprising that followed in the US Capitol, when Trump supporters tried to stop acknowledging his defeat to President Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly attacked intelligence officials, claiming that investigations into Russian influence in his campaigns are politically motivated. Tensions between Washington and Moscow have reached levels not seen since the end of the Cold War. The White House has stepped up military support for Ukraine, which has developed strong resistance to Russian forces accused of war crimes, and has helped impose global sanctions that have crippled the Russian economy. There is no indication that the war will end soon, which some experts say could delay Moscow from seeking retaliation, while its resources are sunk in Ukraine. But “it is almost certain that a depleted Russian army after Ukraine will redouble its hybrid tactics again to wreak havoc on us and other allies,” said David Salvo, deputy director of the Alliance for the Safeguarding of . In Ukraine and in previous campaigns against opponents, Russia has been accused of trying to spread misinformation, amplifying pro-Kremlin voices in the West, and using cyber-attacks to upset governments. Senior US intelligence officials are still working on plans for a new congressionally mandated center that will focus on foreign-sponsored campaigns by Russia, China and other adversaries. Avril Haines, the director of the US National Intelligence Service, also recently appointed CIA Officer Jeffrey Wichman to the post of election threat executive, several months after the departure of former executive Shelby Pierson. “Our Electoral Threat Directorate continues to lead the Information Community’s efforts against external threats in the US election,” said Haynes’s spokeswoman Nicole de Hai in a statement. “We are also continuing to work to meet the legislative requirement to establish a center for the integration of information on malignant foreign influence.” De Hai declined to comment on intelligence reports on Putin’s intentions. The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Foreign opponents have long sought to interfere in US politics, according to previous election investigations and allegations against alleged foreign agents. The United States has accused Putin of ordering influential operations to try to help Trump in the 2020 election. Trump and underestimate his rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Attorney General Robert Mueller’s investigation, which lasted nearly two years, found no convincing evidence that Trump’s campaign was conspiring with Russia, but Mueller declined to say whether Trump obstructed justice. Trump continues to falsely claim that the election he lost to Biden was stolen, with Republicans in many states following suit and opposing election security measures. Law enforcement and intelligence services are constantly investigating foreign influence efforts. The Justice Department last month accused five men of acting on behalf of China to harass Chinese dissidents in the United States and derail a little-known congressional candidate. Experts say the proposed Center for Malicious Foreign Affairs will bring the necessary direction to the efforts of the entire government, which is studying the opponents. Congress provided partial funding for the center in the budget approved last month, because the budget finances the government until September and not a whole year. The center had previously been delayed by questions from the director of intelligence and the Capitol about its structure and size and whether it would unnecessarily double the government’s existing efforts. Indicating that some of these questions remain unresolved, Congress last month also asked the director’s office to complete a report within six months on the center’s “future structure, responsibilities and organizational position”. Ohio MP Mike Turner, a leading Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee was closely monitoring “the malicious activities of our opponents” and that the proposed center could be a way to help. “As Russia continues to use disinformation campaigns in Ukraine, we are reminded that we are strategic in our response to their tactics,” Turner said. “It is no secret that our opponents are using misinformation to undermine US national security interests, so we must consider all viable options to protect our democracy.”
