Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds the following: According an Intelligence Community Assessment dated January 6, 2017, Russia engages in attacks of disinformation to advance its longstanding desire to undermine the United States-led democratic order, the promotion of which Putin and other senior Russian leaders view as a threat to Russia and to Putin’s administration. According to the indictment issued by the Attorney General on February 16, 2018, Russia interfered in the United States presidential election in 2016 and continues to conduct disinformation efforts designed to undermine the United States.
In addition to the allegations regarding Russian disinformation efforts in that indictment, according to Robert Blackwill and Phil Gordon of the Council on Foreign Relations, in 2016, Russia used its domestic media outlets, such as RT and Sputnik, extensively to publish and promote false and provocative stories designed to denigrate Hillary Clinton and stoke anger among potential Trump supporters as well as Clinton’s opponents on the left. Disinformation included in such videos was often picked up by Trump-supporting media outlets, such as Breitbart News, Infowars, and Fox News, vastly expanding the reach of the videos.
Notwithstanding the enactment of the Countering Adversaries of America through Sanctions Act of 2017 ( Public Law 115–44 ), Russia continues to support efforts to sow and exacerbate divisions among Americans, including by funding efforts to fuel racial, religious, and cultural resentments throughout American society and pitting Americans against each other and against many of their politicians. Russia has also significantly stepped up its efforts to confront the United States and its allies politically and militarily, and to counter American influence worldwide, including by the following:
Invading and illegally occupying Crimea. Intervening in and occupying parts of eastern Ukraine. Deploying substantial military forces and undertaking a ruthless bombing campaign in Syria to prop up the regime of Bashar al-Assad and defeat the American-supported opposition. Significantly expanding its armed forces and deploying missiles in violation of treaty commitments. Undertaking large military exercises designed to intimidate East European states. Interfering in the political systems of European countries in much the same way as in the United States.
Using the threat of cutting off gas supplies as leverage over the most energy-dependent European countries.
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Sec. 2
Findings
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