Contents
A look at some of the ways Russia is known for in USA politics, including their involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
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Russia’s Interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
Russia has been a topic of conversation in the United States for the past few years, especially in relation to politics. In 2016, Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election in an attempt to help then-candidate Donald Trump win. The Russian government also hacked into the Democratic National Committee’s emails and released them to the public in an effort to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
The release of hacked emails
In the 2016 presidential election, Russia interfered in favor of the eventual winner, Donald Trump. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government had hacked email accounts of senior officials in the Democratic Party and released them to the public in order to damage the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.
The email release began on July 22, just three days after Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president. On October 7, 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies publicly announced their conclusion that Russian intelligence was behind the hacks and releases, stating that “the Russian Government directed recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations.”
The announcement came just hours after the release of more emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta by WikiLeaks. In all, more than 19,000 emails were released during the election campaign, most of them damaging to Clinton and her team.
The creation and dissemination of “fake news”
During the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, Russia is believed to have created and disseminated “fake news” in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election. “Fake news” is defined as news that is false or fabricated, and it is often spread through social media channels.
In the months leading up to the 2016 election, dozens of “fake news” stories were circulated online that were critical of Hillary Clinton and her campaign. These stories were often picked up by other websites and shared widely on social media, reaching a large audience. Russia has denied any involvement in the dissemination of “fake news,” but U.S. intelligence agencies believe that they were behind it.
The impact of “fake news” on the 2016 election is difficult to measure, but it is clear that it played a role in shaping public opinion about the candidates. In a society where people are increasingly getting their news from social media, it is important to be aware of the dangers of “fake news.”
Russia’s Involvement in Syria
Russia has been a key player in Syria since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. Russia has been providing military support to the Syrian government, including air strikes against rebel groups. In 2015, Russia began conducting its own air strikes in Syria, ostensibly against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). However, Western governments have accused Russia of targeting rebel groups opposed to the Syrian government, including some supported by the United States.
Supporting the Assad regime
Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Russia has been one of the strongest supporters of the Assad regime. Russia has provided military support to the Syrian government since 2015, including direct military intervention in the form of air strikes against rebel groups. Russia has also been one of the main obstacles to international efforts to pressure Assad to step down or agree to a political transition.
Russian officials have justified their support for Assad by arguing that he is a bulwark against terrorism and that stability in Syria is essential for international security. They have also accused the United States and other Western countries of seeking to overthrow Assad for geopolitical reasons. Critics charge that Russia’s real motive is to maintain its influence in Syria and the wider Middle East.
Conducting airstrikes against Syrian rebels
Since September 2015, Russia has conducted air strikes in Syria against rebel groups opposed to the Syrian government, including the ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) as part of its military intervention in the Syrian Civil War. Russia’s military intervention came at the formal request of the Syrian government. The United States and some Western European countries accused Russia of targeting rebel groups other than ISIL, including civilians, and criticized Russia for not distinguishing between ISIL terrorists and legitimate opposition forces. Russian officials insisted that their airstrikes exclusively targeted ISIL and other “terrorists”, although exact definitions of “terrorist” targets were often unclear.
Russia’s Annexation of Crimea
Crimea is a peninsula located on the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe that is currently administered by Russia. The territory was annexed by the Russian Federation in March 2014, following a military intervention by Russia. The annexation was preceded by a referendum in which 97% of voters were in favor of joining Russia.
The 2014 Crimean Crisis
The 2014 Crimean Crisis, also known as the Russo-Ukrainian War, was a conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The crisis began when Russia annexed Crimea, a Ukrainian territory, in March 2014. The annexation came after Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in a revolution.
The crisis deepened when pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east began fighting the Ukrainian government. Russia has denied involvement in the fighting, but the United States and other Western countries say Moscow is arming and directing the rebels.
The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 1.5 million others. It has also damaged relations between Russia and the West, with the United States and European Union imposing sanctions on Russia.
The 2016 Crimean Referendum
On 16 March 2014, a referendum was held in Crimea on the question of whether Crimea would leave Ukraine and join Russia as a federal subject. The official voter turnout was 83.1%, with 97.7% voting in favor of joining Russia.
The referendum was not recognized as legitimate by most countries, and the United Nations General Assembly condemned it as ” illegal under international law.”
The annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation led to widespread international condemnation, including from the United Nations General Assembly, NATO, the European Union and the G7.
Russia’s Ties to the Trump Administration
Russia has been in the news a lot lately due to their ties to the Trump administration. Russia is known for their corrupt government and for meddling in other countries’ affairs. They are also known for their natural resources, including oil and gas. Let’s take a closer look at Russia and their ties to the Trump administration.
The 2016 Trump Tower Meeting
In 2016, a meeting was held at Trump Tower between a Russian lawyer and Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner. The purpose of the meeting was for the lawyer to provide damaging information about Hillary Clinton as part of the Russian government’s effort to help Trump win the election. The meeting came to light in 2017, and it is currently being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The firing of FBI Director James Comey
Russia’s ties to the Trump administration have come under scrutiny since the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Comey was leading an investigation into ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia when he was abruptly fired. The move sparked outrage and calls for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the matter further.
