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Trump Administration Sanctions Russians for Election Meddling and Cyberattacks Trump Administration Sanctions Russians for Election Meddling and Cyberattacks
(about 3 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on a series of Russian organizations and individuals on Thursday in retaliation for interference in the 2016 presidential elections and other “malicious” cyberattacks. It was the most significant action taken against Moscow since Mr. Trump took office. WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on a series of Russian organizations and individuals in retaliation for interference in the 2016 presidential elections and other “malicious cyberattacks.” It was the most significant action taken against Moscow since President Trump took office.
The sanctions came at the same time the Trump administration joined a collective statement with Britain, France and Germany on Thursday denouncing Russia for its apparent role in a nerve gas attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil, calling it a “clear violation” of international law. But the statement included no joint action in response. The sanctions came at the same time the United States joined with Britain, France and Germany in a statement denouncing Russia for its apparent role in a nerve-gas attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil, calling it a “clear violation” of international law. But the statement did not say anything about any action in response.
The American sanctions announced on Thursday targeted many of the same Russian organizations and operatives identified by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, in an indictment that outlined an audacious attempt to spread disinformation and propaganda to disrupt American democracy and, eventually, influence the vote on behalf of Mr. Trump. The sanctions also responded to other cyberattacks, including a previously undisclosed attempt to penetrate the American energy grid. In his first personal comment on the poison attack, Mr. Trump agreed that, despite its denials, Russia was likely behind it. “It looks like it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “I spoke with the prime minister and we are in deep discussions. A very sad situation. It certainly looks like the Russians were behind it. Something that should never ever happen. We’re taking it very seriously, as are I think many others.”
In keeping with his reluctance to blame Moscow for meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Trump did not mention the sanctions or election interference.
The president has repeatedly dismissed the suggestion that Russia sought to influence the vote in his favor as a “hoax” and “fake news,” even as a special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has concluded that it did and investigates whether Mr. Trump’s campaign collaborated with Russian agents. Mr. Trump said once that he accepted President Vladimir V. Putin’s denial of any involvement.
Before leaving office, President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats, seized a pair of diplomatic properties and imposed sanctions in response to the election interference. But, until Thursday, Mr. Trump’s administration had refused to follow suit. While his administration has sanctioned some Russians for human rights abuses or for the intervention in Ukraine, the measures announced on Thursday represented the first time Mr. Trump’s administration took action on the meddling, and it acted only after Congress passed nearly unanimously legislation meant to force his hand.
The sanctions targeted the same Russian organizations and operatives identified by Mr. Mueller in an indictment that outlined an audacious attempt to spread disinformation and propaganda to disrupt American democracy and, eventually, influence the vote on behalf of Mr. Trump. The sanctions also responded to other cyberattacks, including a previously unconfirmed attempt to penetrate the American energy grid.
“The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyberactivity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyberattacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “These targeted sanctions are a part of a broader effort to address the ongoing nefarious attacks emanating from Russia.”“The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyberactivity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive cyberattacks, and intrusions targeting critical infrastructure,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “These targeted sanctions are a part of a broader effort to address the ongoing nefarious attacks emanating from Russia.”
The sanctions, targeting five Russian organizations and 19 individuals, will generally block them from traveling to the United States, freeze any assets in the country and bar American businesses and individuals from doing business with them. Among the organizations sanctioned were the Federal Security Service, the successor to the K.G.B. known by its Russian acronym F.S.B., and Russian military intelligence, known as G.R.U., although they, like a few others, were previously penalized under past actions for the intervention in Ukraine. The sanctions, targeting five Russian organizations and 19 individuals, will generally block them from traveling to the United States, freeze any assets in the country and bar American businesses and individuals from doing business with them. Among the organizations sanctioned were the Federal Security Service, the successor to the K.G.B. known by its Russian acronym F.S.B., and Russian military intelligence, known as G.R.U., although they, like several others, were previously penalized by Mr. Obama’s administration for the Ukraine intervention.
In addition to the election meddling, the attacks cited by the Treasury Department included the NotPetya cyberattack that caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States, Europe and Asia in what the department called “the most destructive and costly cyberattack in history.” In addition to the election meddling, the attacks cited by the Treasury Department included the NotPetya cyberattack that caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States, Europe and Asia in what the department called “the most destructive and costly cyberattack in history.” The United States and Britain formally blamed Russia for that cyberattack last month.
The action came a day after Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats and announced other measures in response to the poisoning attack but its allies announced no similar efforts. The administration also took the unusual step of naming the Russian government as the force behind a series of intrusions into American power plants and the computer networks that control power grids. The attacks, known as “Dragonfly,” pierced many layers of security and would have allowed the intruders to sabotage systems, experts say. But there is no evidence any sabotage took place.
“This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War,” the statement said. “It is an assault on the United Kingdom’s sovereignty and any such use by a state party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all.” Those attacks have been known to the American government for more than a year, but kept highly classified. Symantec Corporation, which markets systems that detect malware and protect against it, issued a detailed report about Dragonfly in October 2017, but stopped short of naming the Russians.
The cyber assaults last year targeted energy and nuclear power stations in the United States and Europe. Among the victims was the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, which runs a nuclear power plant near Burlington, Kansas, according to security responders and a joint report issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. last June.
Those attacks suggest Russian state-sponsored hackers have been actively mapping out Western industrial, power and nuclear facilities in preparation, some believe, for eventual sabotage. There is no evidence to date that Russian hackers were able to jump from the operator’s corporate networks into the production networks that control plant operations, but forensics investigators and U.S. officials believe the attacks were designed to look for ways to make that jump into the plant operations themselves.
Since Mr. Trump took office, his national security advisers have been more willing than Mr. Obama was to name nations believed to be behind such cyberattacks. But Thursday’s statement did not say which group within the Russian government was responsible or whether the attacks were ordered by Mr. Putin, the way American intelligence agencies say the effort to interfere in the election was.
Nonetheless, the timing is notable: It means the Russian attacks on the electric grid were at full force at the same time that the interference in the election process was underway.
The joint statement responding to the March 4 poisoning attack in Salisbury, England, came a day after Theresa May, the British prime minister, expelled 23 Russian diplomats and announced other measures in retaliation. Sergei V. Skripal, the former Russian spy, and his daughter, Yulia, were left in a coma because of the attack, which British investigators said was caused by Novichok, a potent nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s.
“This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War,” the statement by the four allies said. “It is an assault on the United Kingdom’s sovereignty and any such use by a state party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all.”
The statement indicated that the United States and other allies backed Britain’s conclusion about Moscow’s responsibility. “We share the United Kingdom’s assessment that there is no plausible alternative explanation, and note that Russia’s failure to address the legitimate request by the government of the United Kingdom further underlines Russia’s responsibility,” it said.The statement indicated that the United States and other allies backed Britain’s conclusion about Moscow’s responsibility. “We share the United Kingdom’s assessment that there is no plausible alternative explanation, and note that Russia’s failure to address the legitimate request by the government of the United Kingdom further underlines Russia’s responsibility,” it said.
Although it did not include concrete steps and largely repeated condemnation by European allies, the joint statement was a notable display of unanimity among countries that have taken varying stances toward Russia in recent months.
London has sought in recent days to marshal criticism against Russia, submitting statements to international organizations like the United Nations Human Rights Council. Ms. May has also worked the phones, calling allies that included Canada, Luxembourg, the United States and France. Russia has denied responsibility for the attack.
The poison attack has increased pressure on Mr. Trump to take a more vocal public position regarding Russia, something he has steadfastly avoided since taking office. Lawmakers of both parties have been angry that, until Thursday, he had not imposed the sanctions envisioned in the law they passed over his objections last year.
Even when Mr. Trump grudgingly accepts the conclusion of American intelligence agencies that found election interference, he typically did it with equivocal language and never forcefully criticized or faulted Mr. Putin, for whom he has expressed admiration. Instead, he has left it to his advisers to use sharp language assailing Russia for the interference and other actions, just as on Thursday he left it to them to announce the sanctions.
Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who helped broker the sanctions law last year, said he was satisfied with Thursday’s announcement but skeptical that the new punishments would ultimately change Russia’s behavior.
“I think Russia is on course to do what Russia is going to do,” he said in an interview. “I think it’s good that we’re doing it, and I think we ought to continue to push back, but I think they are going to continue to attempt to create the kind of disharmony that they have been good at doing.”
Democrats said the sanctions make it harder for Mr. Trump to dismiss Mr. Mueller’s probe as an illegitimate political exercise.
“The fact that the administration has issued sanctions against individuals and entities indicted by Special Counsel Mueller proves that his investigation is not a ‘witch hunt’ as the president and his allies have claimed,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic minority leader, said in a statement.
Some Republicans pressed him to do more. “As our midterm elections approach, we must send a clear message that attacks on our political process will not be tolerated,” said Representative Ed Royce of California, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Today’s action, using authorities provided by Congress, are an important step by the administration. But more must be done.”