Published 21:11 IST, October 22nd 2020
US intelligence reports alleging Russia's election meddling 'groundless': Kremlin
Kremlin denies accusations of US intelligence officials who alleged that Russia was vouching for President Donald Trump's re-election
- World News
- 3 min read
After the US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe alleged on October 21 that both Russia and Iran had opted to convert measures to influence the 2020 US Presidential elections, Kremlin categorically denied reports of meddling. US intelligence officials had warned Congress about Kremlin's interference, alleging that Russia was vouching for President Donald Trump's re-election.
Reaffirming its staunch denial, Russia asserted in its recent statements that the election interference allegations and US intelligence community report that alleged Russia was employing cyber-attacks and other critical covert means to meddle with American politics were totally false.
Earlier, while the Dems derided US President Trump’s lack of effort to deter foreign influence, making a spectre of revelations with respect to foreign interference at a briefing, a US intelligence officer alleged that Russia would put its national intelligence apparatus in an operational mode to attack (Joe) Biden. The veteran intelligence officer, Malcolm Nance, that authored a book on the 2016 presidential election meddling seriously warned the House Intelligence Committee against Russia, which President Trump disregarded as Dems pushing a “misinformation campaign” on Twitter.
Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe said in a televised address that he believed that Iran and Russia were both involved in meddling. However, the proof emerges for Iran, adding that foreign actors were seeking to undermine confidence in American democracy.
FBI and other intelligence bureaus were standing before American people to give them the confidence that the agencies were on top of this, Ratcliffe said, adding, that he was providing the most powerful weapon to combat those efforts – the truth, and information in a live-streamed address. Furthermore, he urged the Americans to "do their part".
However, Kremlin on Thursday dismissed the allegations as “absolutely groundless” in a statement. Kremlin’s response comes about just a day after at least 6 Russian military officers were charged in a vast hacking campaign that targeted the French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and American businesses. Justice Department announced that the Kremlin unit that interfered in the 2016 US elections as it accused six defendants in an indictment.
'Accusations not based on anything': Kremlin spokesman
The seven-count indictment revealed a power grid serving hundreds of thousands of customers in Ukraine and a French election and hacked emails. US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Scott Brady, called the attack as “some of the most destructive, most costly, most egregious cyberattacks ever known.” However, Assistant Attorney General John Demers said that the indictment was unrelated to the upcoming 2020 US Presidential election, according to sources of Associated Press. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was reported saying that allegations hurled at Russia by the US director of national intelligence were raining down every day and were “not based on anything”.
(With AP Inputs)
(Image Credit: AP)
Updated 21:11 IST, October 22nd 2020