Putin Hints at U.S. Election Meddling by ‘Patriotically Minded’ Russians

[GennGreymane]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/w...king.html?_r=0

MOSCOW — Shifting from his previous blanket denials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday that “patriotically minded” private Russian hackers could have been involved in cyberattacks last year to help the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump.

While Mr. Putin continued to deny any state role, his comments to reporters in St. Petersburg were a departure from the Kremlin’s previous position: that Russia had played no role whatsoever in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and that, after Mr. Trump’s victory, the country had become the victim of anti-Russia hysteria among crestfallen Democrats.

Raising the possibility of attacks by what he portrayed as free-spirited Russian patriots, Mr. Putin said that hackers “are like artists” who choose their targets depending how they feel “when they wake up in the morning.”

“If they are patriotically minded, they start making their contributions — which are right, from their point of view — to the fight against those who say bad things about Russia,” he added.

his remarks echoed ones by Mr. Trump, who has dismissed accusations of Russian meddling and said that the person responsible for the attack on the Democratic National Committee “could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds.”

All the same, Mr. Putin stuck firmly to earlier denials that Russian state bodies or employees had been involved, an accusation leveled by United States intelligence agencies. They concluded in January that Mr. Putin himself had directed a Russian “influence campaign” involving cyberattacks and disinformation intended to tilt the November election in Mr. Trump’s favor.

“We’re not doing this on the state level,” Mr. Putin said on Thursday.

The boundary between state and private action, however, is often blurry, particularly in matters relating to the projection of Russian influence abroad. Nominally private Russian citizens have fought alongside Russian-speaking rebels in eastern Ukraine and have taken part in various campaigns to advance Moscow’s agenda in Eastern and Central Europe.

Perhaps worried that American intelligence agencies could release evidence linking last year’s cyberattacks to Russia, Mr. Putin also put forward a theory that modern technology could easily be manipulated to create a false trail back to Russia.

I can imagine that someone is doing this purposefully — building the chain of attacks so that the territory of the Russian Federation appears to be the source of that attack,” Mr. Putin said. “Modern technologies allow to do that kind of thing, it’s rather easy to do.”

In this, Mr. Putin appeared to be repeating an argument he put forward earlier in the week in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro.

“I think that he was totally right when he said it could have been someone sitting on their bed or somebody intentionally inserted a flash drive with the name of a Russian national, or something like that,” Mr. Putin told Le Figaro, referring to Mr. Trump. “Anything is possible in this virtual world. Russia never engages in activities of this kind, and we do not need it. It makes no sense for us to do such things. What for?”

The evolution of Russia’s position on possible meddling in the American election is similar to the way Mr. Putin repeatedly shifted his account of Russia’s role in the 2014 annexation of Crimea and in armed rebellions in eastern Ukraine: He began by categorically denying that Russian troops had taken part before acknowledging, months later, that the Russian military was “of course” involved.

[Baneth]

It's the same lie about the soldiers in Ukraine. At this point, no one should be questioning IF they interfered, but rather how much?

[Shalcker]

Ugh, lots of people fighting in Ukraine were indeed private citizens, not nominally but fully. And most of those got disillusioned with fighting there and left, some with stories to be told.

Obviously that doesn't preclude use of Russian forces there, but those didn't generally pose as "private Russian citizens"; their legend generally went as "locals".

[Deleted]

He seems to be really enjoying his casual trolling and of course Trump is utterly oblivious. If i were him, I'd scream for help on Twitter.

[lazypeon100]

He seems to be really enjoying his casual trolling and of course Trump is utterly oblivious. If i were him, I'd scream for help on Twitter.

He did scream for help though! Covfefe!

[Deleted]

He did scream for help though! Covfefe!

It will become the Trumpsters confederate flag, with a little Spicer painted on it: Don't tread on me

[Edge-]

So has Putin become a fan of American football? Because he's backpedaling as well as any of the top DB's in the NFL.

[Lenonis]

Wait -- I thought Russia wasn't involve at all. In any way shape or form and that it's all a conspiracy theory.

What now?

[The Emperor]

So has Putin become a fan of American football? Because he's backpedaling as well as any of the top DB's in the NFL.

How is anything he said in that article backpedaling?

On topic: So you guys still think it were hordes of Kremlin-paid bots out to undermine ur demuhcracy, rather than a genuine outcry from people you refuse to listen to and call propagandists???

- - - Updated - - -

Wait -- I thought Russia wasn't involve at all. In any way shape or form and that it's all a conspiracy theory.

What now?

are you really that idiotic and cannot see that people in internet come from different countries, and if someone from Russia supports Trump it doesn't necessarily mean Putin is involved, right? Because you lefties seem to be struggling with that logic ever since Trump won. Anyway, you keep repulsing your electorate further.

[Deleted]

Wheneever Putin opens his mouth, a lie is created. Always keep that in mind.

[Edge-]

How is anything he said in that article backpedaling?

On topic: So you guys still think it were hordes of Kremlin-paid bots out to undermine ur demuhcracy, rather than a genuine outcry from people you refuse to listen to and call propagandists???

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...rference-trump

I don't know, the Putin of 30 days ago didn't even seem to entertain this notion. But we're seeing an "evolution" of his views now.

Also, I'll believe the collective US intelligence community over Putin any day of the week.

And yes, Kremlin-paid shitposters exist and it's pretty well documented, broskito - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_brigades

[lazypeon100]

How is anything he said in that article backpedaling?

On topic: So you guys still think it were hordes of Kremlin-paid bots out to undermine ur demuhcracy, rather than a genuine outcry from people you refuse to listen to and call propagandists???

How is that not backpeddling? The official stane went from zero involvement to "maybe we had some individuals meddle but we had nothing to do with it as a whole."

Those are two very different statements. As for the second part to your post, there's a reason why so many people are following the senate hearings, what's going on in the investigation, etc. There is a genuine belief that Russia helped to persuade people to vote for Trump and there is mouting evidence to support that belief.

That is why subpoenas have been issued lately. I am certain there are people here in the states who genuinely disliked clinton, or just agreed with Trump or wanted SOMETHING to change. I am also sure that Russia has used that to their advantage.

[Daelak]

How is anything he said in that article backpedaling?

On topic: So you guys still think it were hordes of Kremlin-paid bots out to undermine ur demuhcracy, rather than a genuine outcry from people you refuse to listen to and call propagandists???

It's not about "thinking" it happened, it did, and several IC analysts even publicly testified about the specificity of their attacks.

[Xirrohon]

Comey got trolled. Obama should have fired him but didnt. I have doubts Trump had any involvement and I cant imagine him colluding. I doubt he has the political awareness to even mention a letter like that being sent to Comey. Im pretty sure the FBI investigation will fail to link any collusion of Trump or Putin. However, reading this article all I could think of was. Damn, if Hilary won the rhetoric for another Cold War would be ridiculous.

[Deleted]

Damn, if Hilary won the rhetoric for another Cold War would be ridiculous.

Well, trump won with all his racism and xenophobia, and now he is going to split europe from america.

What a great idea.

Comey didnt get trolled, thats just one of the most parroted disinformation from propaganda media outlets.

[Deleted]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...rference-trump

I don't know, the Putin of 30 days ago didn't even seem to entertain this notion. But we're seeing an "evolution" of his views now.

Also, I'll believe the collective US intelligence community over Putin any day of the week.

And yes, Kremlin-paid shitposters exist and it's pretty well documented, broskito - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_brigades

The fact that you're willing to believe the us intelligence community speaks lengths about your political immaturity.

[The Emperor]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...rference-trump

I don't know, the Putin of 30 days ago didn't even seem to entertain this notion. But we're seeing an "evolution" of his views now.

Also, I'll believe the collective US intelligence community over Putin any day of the week.

And yes, Kremlin-paid shitposters exist and it's pretty well documented, broskito - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_brigades

The fact that article exists on wikipedia doesn't make it any less fake news. hell I can link you 9/11 conspiracy theories as well.

How is that not backpeddling? The official stane went from zero involvement to "maybe we had some individuals meddle but it we had nothing to with it as a whole."

Do you know the difference between an average Ivan who loves mother Russia and an Ivan the KGB guy, who gets paid for idiotic posts? There was no official involvment, which is what Putin's been saying ever since the left become rabidly obsessed with Russia.

[Edge-]

The fact that you're willing to believe the us intelligence community speaks lengths about your political immaturity.

I don't blindly believe them, but I believe them over Putin any day of the week. As I specifically wrote.

But please, preach to me about being woke some.

[Deleted]

I don't blindly believe them, but I believe them over Putin any day of the week. As I specifically wrote.

But please, preach to me about being woke some.

Are you so desperately in need of belonging to a group that you HAVE to believe one or the other?

[Edge-]

The fact that article exists on wikipedia doesn't make it any less fake news. hell I can link you 9/11 conspiracy theories as well.

Did you bother to check any of the citations, or was that just your knee jerk reaction to information you don't like?

Do you know the difference between an average Ivan who loves mother Russia and an Ivan the KGB guy, who gets paid for idiotic posts?

Wait...you just told me that paid Kremlin trolls don't exist...do they exist now that it's convenient to your argument? Or are they back to being the a figment of our imaginations, which you clearly implied literally one sentence earlier.

There was no official involvment, which is what Putin's been saying ever since the left become rabidly obsessed with Russia.

US intelligence community disagrees, and I believe them over Putin/Moscow any day.

Are you so desperately in need of belonging to a group that you HAVE to believe one or the other?

No. Are you projecting?