Expert: The Kremlin could organize a new information leak before US presidential elections
Donald Trump’s policies regarding Russia, if he were to be elected President of the United States, coincide with the Kremlin’s vision, where Europe is divided and dependent on Russia. Therefore, one can expect Moscow’s continued interference in the presidential campaign and new attempts to influence the presidential campaign in the United States may be taken before Election Day this November, Jeffrey Gedmin says.
In an interview with the Georgian Voice of America, the Senior Fellow of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and former President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Jeffrey Gedmin, commented on the foreign policy positions of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, as well as information regarding Russia’s involvement in the leakage of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) correspondence.
Gedmin critically assessed Trump’s efforts to radically change the existing U.S. political consensus on an internationalist foreign policy as well as the commitment of the United States to a united Europe and NATO. However, he did not deny the validity of some of the issues raised by Trump, for example, the distribution of the financial burden, but noted that such issues needed to be solved with Europe.
Trump’s statements create uncertainty in matters of foreign policy, including those towards Russia and bring tension into the ranks of U.S. allies regarding commitments in the area of security, he said. It should also be noted that the Russian policy in Europe is aimed at the division of Europe into spheres of influence, a situation in which neighboring countries are not free and prosperous, but rather, will focus on the East and increase their dependence on Russia.
"In the United States and abroad people need a sense of security, stability and predictability. He [Trump] does not do so," Gedmin said. That is Trump’s policy, in Gedmin’s assessment, "to weaken Europe and to reduce the impact of the United States."
In addition, today the question remains about what style of government Trump would demonstrate. He has never held an elected office, and at the same time, his statements and political positions are filled with "inconsistencies and contradictions."
Commenting on the accusations that Russia hacked into the servers of the Democratic National Committee and subsequently leaked correspondence, the analyst noted that Russia possesses the necessary technical capabilities to do so and has applied them in the past. An example of this is the massive cyber attack on Estonia that affected the government, business and media. Russia "has such opportunities and there is a strategic interest," Gedmin said.
He also recalled that during the cold war the Soviet Union intervened in the internal affairs of democratic societies. If the involvement of the Kremlin in the scandal over hacking the DNC server is confirmed, then this incident may not be the last before Election Day in November, the former President of Radio Liberty says. "From Vladimir Putin’s point of view, it is probably to save the best for the last moment. You can talk about the fact that he prefers Donald Trump because Donald Trump appears ready to pursue a policy that recognizes the interests of Russia. So, if he wants to hurt Hillary Clinton, there will be new [leaks] and they will be more dangerous," Gedmin said.