As international fears of Russian sabotage campaigns grow, common sense might suggest that U.S. officials would be ramping up its efforts to combat Moscow’s tactics. According to a Reuters report, however, the Trump administration is doing largely the opposite.
Several U.S. national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow as the Trump Administration pushes Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
According to the report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, Biden administration officials briefed the incoming Trump administration during the transition period, urging the Republican team “to continue monitoring Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign.”
After Donald Trump’s inauguration, however, “much of the work has come to a standstill,” Reuters added. The same report went on to say, “Some officials involved in the working groups said they are concerned that the Trump administration is de-prioritizing the issue despite intelligence warnings. The change follows the unwinding of other Russia-focused projects launched by Biden’s administration.”
It’s that last point that’s of particular interest. The Reuters report, in isolation, is unsettling. But considered in a broader context, the pattern paints an even more alarming image.
Last week, for example, Vladimir Putin and his regime let U.S. officials know that they did not want retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg — the White House’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia — to be involved in ceasefire negotiations. Trump promptly reassigned him. Around the same time, the White House abandoned the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
The developments were hardly unfamiliar:
And did I mention that Senate Republicans, at Trump’s behest, confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as the nation’s director of national intelligence, despite her habit of echoing Russian propaganda? Because that happened, too. What’s more, this list might yet grow. Reuters also recently reported that the administration is also eyeing an overhaul to existing U.S. sanctions on Russia. Imagine a hypothetical scenario in which Putin spoke privately to Trump and provided the American president with a to-do list. Would it look much different than the White House’s agenda from the last two months? This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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