The US administration, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, has suspended some of the coordinated efforts to combat sabotage, disinformation, and cyber attacks by Russia, leading to a decrease in pressure on Moscow.
These actions were part of a plan initiated by the Biden administration, which, following warnings from US intelligence services, established task forces to monitor and counter Russia’s hybrid warfare campaigns. Most of their activities were put on hold after Trump took office, according to a Reuters investigation.
The fight against Russian sabotage stops
Several US national security agencies have suspended work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation, and cyber attacks, reducing pressure on Moscow.
Reuters cites sources, who, under anonymity, stated that under Trump's leadership, the US National Security Council (NSC) stopped holding regular meetings with European officials on Russian sabotage.
A plan initiated by Joe Biden during his term, following warnings from US intelligence services about the escalation of Russia's clandestine war against Western nations, involved at least seven national security agencies working together with European allies to disrupt plots targeting Europe and the United States, according to seven former officials who participated in the task forces, as reported by Reuters.
After January 20, when Trump took office, much of this effort went on standby, said 11 former and current officials who requested anonymity.
The Reuters investigation could not determine whether Trump ordered the administration to stop all monitoring and countering activities of Russia's campaign, if agencies are hiring additional staff, or if they are making their own political decisions independent of the White House.
Reuters investigation on the elections in Romania
Over the past three years, Russia has recruited criminals from various European countries to carry out sabotage operations across the continent.
Furthermore, Russia has used influence campaigns and cyber operations to undermine international support for Ukraine, according to officials from Western intelligence services.
Regarding electoral security, Tricia McLaughlin, deputy to the CISA secretary, told Reuters that the agency has released personnel responsible for disinformation and information manipulation from her election security team, without providing further details.
Referring to the elections in Romania, Reuters mentions that the victory of the far-right and pro-Putin candidate, Calin Georgescu, in the first round of the November presidential elections was annulled by the country's Constitutional Court. This came after declassified Romanian intelligence reports indicated possible Russian interference. The decision was criticized by Trump's vice president, JD Vance, while Georgescu and Moscow denied any involvement.
Analysts warn that reducing US efforts to counter Russia's hybrid warfare tactics could become a significant danger.
"We choose to blind ourselves to potential acts of war against us," said Kori Schake, director of foreign policy and defense studies at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, expressing concern about Trump's closeness to Putin.
Asked about the pause in some of Washington's activities to monitor the hybrid warfare campaign, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Trump administration was trying to eliminate "everything that is inefficient, corrupt, and unbelievable," which he found "understandable."
Peskov added that Western accusations of Russia sabotaging the US and Europe are "empty and fleeting" and have not been proven.
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