The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Will wait for Trump: Putin
IN A Cold War-era style diplomatic showdown, the United States has unleashed a string of sanctions and ordered expulsion of 35 Russians in retaliation for alleged cybermeddling in the US election.
The move puts pressure on presidentelect Donald Trump to not let Moscow off the hook after he takes office on January 20. Trump has said the US should move on, but in a sign that he was no longer totally brushing off the allegations, he planned to meet US intelligence leaders next week to learn more.
President Barack Obama on Thursday sanctioned the GRU and FSB, leading Russian intelligence agencies the US said were involved in the alleged hacking. In an elaborately coordinated response by at least five federal agencies, the Obama administration also sought to expose Russia’s cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counterattack.
“All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions,’’ said Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii. He added, “Such activities have consequences.’’
Yet the sanctions could easily be pulled back by Trump, who has insisted that Obama and Democrats are merely attempting to delegitimise his election.
Besides expelling the diplomats, the US also shut down Russian recreational compounds in New York and Maryland that US officials said were being used for intelligence.
It was the strongest action the Obama administration has taken to date to retaliate to a cyber attack. The new penalties add to existing US sanctions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
US relations with Russia have suffered during Obama’s years in office as he and Putin tussled over Ukraine, Edward Snowden and Russia’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-assad.
It was unlikely the new sanctions, while symbolically significant, would have a major impact on Russian spy operations. The sanctions freeze any US assets and block Americans from doing business with them. But Russian law bars the spy agencies from having assets in the US, and any activities they undertake would likely be covert.
Though the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint report on “Russian malicious cyber activity’’ — replete with examples of malware code used by the Russians — it has still not released a broader report Obama has promised, detailing Russia’s efforts to interfere with US elections.
US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia was trying to help Trump when hackers connected to the government breached Democratic Party computers and stole tens of thousands of emails that were then posted on Wikileaks, some containing embarrassing information about Democrats. AP Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin castigated the US on Friday for imposing sanctions and expelling Russian diplomats amid allegations of meddling in the American presidential election, but said no US diplomats will be ousted in reprisal.
The decision came as a surprise; tit-fortat expulsions are common diplomatic practice and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had suggested hours before Putin’s announcement that Russia would oust 31 American diplomats.
“The Russian diplomats returning home will spend the New Year holidays with their relatives and dear ones,’’ Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin website. “We will not create problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anybody...while keeping the right for retaliatory measures, we will not descend to the level of ‘kitchen’, irresponsible diplomacy.”
He added: “Moreover, I am inviting all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas parties at the Kremlin.’’
Putin said he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-us relations.
“Further steps towards the restoration of Russian-american relations will be built on the basis of the policy which the administration of President D. Trump will carry out,” he said. AGENCIES