On Friday, the Kremlin made assertions that the United States has been engaging in a clandestine influence campaign against Russian authorities, although Moscow’s security services have reportedly taken measures to mitigate its impact.
These comments from the Kremlin were prompted by a Reuters report revealing that during his tenure as U.S. president, Donald Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to initiate a covert operation on Chinese social media platforms, with the aim of swaying public opinion against the Chinese government.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, highlighted that the U.S. is currently purportedly conducting a similar campaign against Russia, particularly significant as the country is in the midst of a presidential election spanning from Friday to Sunday.
Incumbent President Vladimir Putin, known for his contentious relationship with the West over the conflict in Ukraine, is widely anticipated to secure another six-year term in office without much challenge.
“We’ve been witnessing such activities for numerous years. The United States, along with relevant agencies and intelligence services, have been engaged in similar activities within our nation and continue to do so,” Peskov informed reporters.
He added, “Decisive measures have been taken to safeguard our domestic political landscape and society from such interference attempts, significantly mitigating the effectiveness of the U.S. special services’ endeavors. However, this doesn’t imply cessation of their efforts.”
Peskov hinted that Washington might be employing comparable tactics against other governments as well.
Earlier in the week, Russia’s foreign intelligence service accused the United States of attempting to interfere in Russia’s presidential election, alleging that Washington even had plans for a cyber attack targeting the online voting system.
In contrast, the Kremlin reiterated its stance from last week, asserting that Russia will not interfere in the forthcoming U.S. presidential election in November. It dismissed American claims suggesting Moscow orchestrated campaigns to influence both the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections.
Putin, Russia’s dominant figure since the close of 1999, has made several ironic remarks regarding the U.S. election, suggesting he finds Joe Biden preferable as the next U.S. president over Donald Trump.
