Topline
Russian President Vladimir Putin might use the United States’ support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion to meddle in another U.S. election, U.S. intelligence officials have concluded, the Associated Press reported Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Key Facts
Several unnamed U.S. intelligence officials familiar with the matter told AP that despite the assessment, no evidence has yet been seen that the Kremlin is taking any actions.
The Russian military’s failure to capture Kyiv and major cities in Ukraine could further Putin’s commitment to interfere in foreign elections and spread distrust in democracies, Insider reported.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) on the House Intelligence Committee told AP the U.S. must consider every option it has to protect democracy as “it is no secret that our adversaries use disinformation to undermine the national security interests of the U.S.”
Key Background
David Kennedy, a former National Security Agency hacker, told Insider Putin has to show dominance, and that the U.S. voting and election process is “a ripe target” for Russia in part based on its track record. Russia is believed to have interfered with the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections in support of former President Donald Trump. Last week, President Joe Biden committed an additional $500 million in aid to Ukraine. In recent weeks, the Biden administration pledged $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine to help its fight against Russian troops and has promised hundreds of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Javelin anti-tank weapons and drones.
Further Reading
Intel: Putin may cite Ukraine war to meddle in US politics (Associated Press)
Putin Spokesperson Admits ‘Significant Losses’ Of Russian Troops In Ukraine (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2022/04/09/putin-may-use-us-support-for-ukraine-as-a-pretext-to-meddle-in-us-politics-us-intelligence-reportedly-believes/