The intelligence service has found no evidence that Putin has adopted measures similar to those believed to have been taken by Russia in the 2016 and 2020 elections to support Donald Trump, according to several people familiar with the matter and who spoke on condition of anonymity. anonymity. However, given Putin’s dislike of the West and his repeated complaints about Ukraine, officials believe he can see US support for Ukraine’s resistance as an immediate offensive, giving him further incentive to target other US elections, he said. the people. It is not yet clear which candidates Russia can try to promote or what methods it can use. The rating comes with the US electoral system under pressure. The American public remains deeply divided over the recent election and the uprising that followed the US Capitol, when Trump supporters tried to stop Joe Biden from acknowledging his defeat. 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, Russia has been accused of trying to spread misinformation, amplify pro-Kremlin voices and use cyber-attacks to disrupt 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, recently appointed a CIA officer, Jeffrey Wichman, to the post of election threat executive, several months after the departure of the former executive, Shelby Pierson. “Our Electoral Threat Officer continues to lead the intelligence community’s efforts against external threats to the US election,” said Nicole de Hai, Haynes’s spokeswoman. “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 intervene in US politics. The United States has accused Putin of ordering influence to try to help Trump in 2020. A bipartisan Senate inquiry into the 2016 election confirmed reports that Russia used cyber espionage and intelligence efforts to trick Trump and his opponent, 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 insist that the election he lost to Biden was stolen, with Republicans following suit and opposing election security measures. Law enforcement and intelligence services are constantly investigating foreign influence efforts. The U.S. Department of Justice 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 some funding for the center in a budget approved last month. The center has been delayed due to questions within the director of information and at the Capitol about its structure and size and whether it would unnecessarily repeat existing efforts. Congress last month asked the director’s office to complete a report within six months on the centre’s “future structure, responsibilities and organizational position”. Ohio State Mike Turner, a leading Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said the committee is 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.”
