Moose & Squirrel v Boris & Natasha: what's the deal with the rooskies and trumpland?

[Dan T.]

An Ex-KGB Agent Says Trump

Was a Russian Asset Since 1987. Does it Matter?

by Jonathan Chait

 

In 2018, I became either famous or notorious — depending on your point of view — for writing a story speculating that Russia had secret leverage over Trump (which turned out to be correct). The story’s most controversial suggestion was that it was plausible, though hardly certain, that Russia’s influence over Trump might even date back as far as 1987.

 

...reporter Craig Unger got a former KGB spy to confirm on the record that Russian intelligence had been working Trump for decades. In his new book, “American Kompromat,” Unger interviewed Yuri Shvets, who told him that the KGB manipulated Trump with simple flattery. “In terms of his personality, the guy is not a complicated cookie,” he said, “his most important characteristics being low intellect coupled with hyperinflated vanity. This makes him a dream for an experienced recruiter.”

This is what intelligence experts mean when they describe Trump as a Russian “asset.” It’s not the same as being an agent. An asset is somebody who can be manipulated, as opposed to somebody who is consciously and secretly working on your behalf.

Shvets told Unger that the KGB cultivated Trump as an American leader, and persuaded him to run his ad attacking American alliances. “The ad was assessed by the active measures directorate as one of the most successful KGB operations at that time,” he said, “It was a big thing — to have three major American newspapers publish KGB soundbites.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ex-kgb-agent-trump-russian-asset-mueller-putin-kompromat-unger-book.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_paid&utm_campaign=content&utm_content=1p_sitevisitors&utm_term=twitter_low_july21&twclid=11412631393658605568

 

[Bang]

Toldya.

 

And now Anatoldya Toldyatoyovic toldya.

 

~Bang

Edited July 7, 2021 by Bang

[Dan T.]

 From the Guardian

 

Kremlin papers appear to show Putin’s plot to put Trump in White House

Exclusive: Documents suggest Russia launched secret multi-agency effort to interfere in US democracy

July 15, 2021

by Luke Harding, Julian Borger and Dan Sabbagh

 

Vladimir Putin personally authorised a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election during a closed session of Russia’s national security council, according to what are assessed to be leaked Kremlin documents.

 

The key meeting took place on 22 January 2016, the papers suggest, with the Russian president, his spy chiefs and senior ministers all present.

They agreed a Trump White House would help secure Moscow’s strategic objectives, among them “social turmoil” in the US and a weakening of the American president’s negotiating position.

 

The Guardian has shown the documents to independent experts who say they appear to be genuine. Incidental details come across as accurate. The overall tone and thrust is said to be consistent with Kremlin security thinking.

 

There is a brief psychological assessment of Trump, who is described as an “impulsive, mentally unstable and unbalanced individual who suffers from an inferiority complex.”

 

There is also apparent confirmation that the Kremlin possesses kompromat, or potentially compromising material, on the future president, collected – the document says – from Trump’s earlier “non-official visits to Russian Federation territory.”

 

The paper refers to “certain events” that happened during Trump’s trips to Moscow. Security council members are invited to find details in appendix five, at paragraph five, the document states. It is unclear what the appendix contains.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/kremlin-papers-appear-to-show-putins-plot-to-put-trump-in-white-house

 

 

 

[Dan T.]

So far Forbes, Business Insider, Yahoo, RawStory,  and Mediaite have picked up the story, citing the Guardian as the recipient of the leaked Kremlin document.

[Dan T.]

Some are urging caution about the veracity of the leaked documents, though Guardian reporters had intelligence experts examine the documents to determine their reliability.  They wrote:

 

The Guardian has shown the documents to independent experts who say they appear to be genuine. Incidental details come across as accurate. The overall tone and thrust is said to be consistent with Kremlin security thinking.

 

I suppose it could be a Kremlin effort - or a separate effort -  to sow discord, either by leaking actual documents, or creating authentic looking documents to leak.

 

But it does track with just about everything we've heard before.  Besides, any document that describes Donald J. Trump as an “impulsive, mentally unstable and unbalanced individual who suffers from an inferiority complex” sounds pretty on-the-nose to me.

[Llevron]

37 minutes ago, Dan T. said:

I suppose it could be a Kremlin effort - or a separate effort -  to sow discord, either by leaking actual documents, or creating authentic looking documents to leak.

 

But it does track with just about everything we've heard before.  Besides, any document that describes Donald J. Trump as an “impulsive, mentally unstable and unbalanced individual who suffers from an inferiority complex” sounds pretty on-the-nose to me.

 

Regardless of if its real or not, the Kremlin would try to take advantage of the discord. They always have and they always will. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Llevron

[Ball Security]

1 hour ago, Dan T. said:

 From the Guardian

 

Kremlin papers appear to show Putin’s plot to put Trump in White House

Exclusive: Documents suggest Russia launched secret multi-agency effort to interfere in US democracy

July 15, 2021

by Luke Harding, Julian Borger and Dan Sabbagh

 

Vladimir Putin personally authorised a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election during a closed session of Russia’s national security council, according to what are assessed to be leaked Kremlin documents.

 

The key meeting took place on 22 January 2016, the papers suggest, with the Russian president, his spy chiefs and senior ministers all present.

They agreed a Trump White House would help secure Moscow’s strategic objectives, among them “social turmoil” in the US and a weakening of the American president’s negotiating position.

 

The Guardian has shown the documents to independent experts who say they appear to be genuine. Incidental details come across as accurate. The overall tone and thrust is said to be consistent with Kremlin security thinking.

 

There is a brief psychological assessment of Trump, who is described as an “impulsive, mentally unstable and unbalanced individual who suffers from an inferiority complex.”

 

There is also apparent confirmation that the Kremlin possesses kompromat, or potentially compromising material, on the future president, collected – the document says – from Trump’s earlier “non-official visits to Russian Federation territory.”

 

The paper refers to “certain events” that happened during Trump’s trips to Moscow. Security council members are invited to find details in appendix five, at paragraph five, the document states. It is unclear what the appendix contains.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/kremlin-papers-appear-to-show-putins-plot-to-put-trump-in-white-house

 

 

 

I never understood the kompromat angle with Trump.  If he had some prostitutes piss on him or whatever, how many votes does he lose?  The Russians could have video of him beheading children and his disciples and followers would justify it.

[Larry]

It's completely believable. 
 

And completely untrustworthy. 
 

Although, there are a few pieces of evidence that lend it support. 
 

The unchallengeable fact that Russia did, in fact, use their national security apparatus to help Trump. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Larry

[China]

2 minutes ago, Ball Security said:

I never understood the kompromat angle with Trump.  If he had some prostitutes piss on him or whatever, how many votes does he lose?  The Russians could have video of him beheading children and his disciples and followers would justify it.

 

It's not about him losing votes.  it's blackmail so that they can get him to do what they want when he's in office.  Like this:

 

Trump sides with Russia against FBI at Helsinki summit

[Ball Security]

4 minutes ago, China said:

 

It's not about him losing votes.  it's blackmail so that they can get him to do what they want when he's in office.  Like this:

 

Trump sides with Russia against FBI at Helsinki summit

But why would he care if they released it?  Why wouldn’t he do what is in his best interest anyway and just claim everything leaked is a deep fake?  Now I totally see how Russia would have financial leverage over him and he’d do the things you mention.  But the scandalous kompromat doesn’t seem like it’d be impactful to DJT as it would be to someone like Graham.

[Fan since a Fetus]

Maybe Russia leaked the documents to further the divide in America. They leak just enough for the left to say there is proof and just enough for the right to say nut uh nannie nannie boo boo. 

[Llevron]

35 minutes ago, Ball Security said:

I never understood the kompromat angle with Trump.  If he had some prostitutes piss on him or whatever, how many votes does he lose?  The Russians could have video of him beheading children and his disciples and followers would justify it.

 

Before he was elected we didnt know for sure how far they would follow this dude off the cliff. Now, its obvious they dont care. Back then we still thought they might have. 

[Ball Security]

Former head of CISA.

 

 

 

[Larry]

The fact that a leak shows completely believable information, and is consistent with every known fact, does not mean it's not fake.  

 

- Dan Rather.  

 

[LadySkinsFan]

This meme popped up for me today. I think it's appropo given The Guardian story.

 

 

[visionary]

 

 

[visionary]

 

[China]

 

[China]

 

[LadySkinsFan]

9 hours ago, China said:

 

 

How soon they forget their own evacuation. 

[China]

EXCLUSIVE: Newly Unsealed Transcript Reveals Crux Of Mueller’s Collusion Case

 

Internal Trump campaign polling data from the 2016 election was sent to a person close to Russia’s leader, according to recently unsealed statements by a prosecutor from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office.

 

At a sealed February 2019 hearing in D.C. federal court, prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said that data shared by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort ended up in the hands of someone close to Vladimir Putin.

 

“And for us, the issue of internal campaign polling data being sent to REDACTED, who the defendant conceded is extremely close to the senior leader in Russia, is in the core of what it is that the special counsel is supposed to be investigating,” Weissmann told U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson for the District of Columbia on February 4, 2019.

 

A transcript of the hearing was unsealed Thursday, but the identity of the person who received the data remains redacted.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

The U.S. was right — Europe has become a ‘hostage’ to Russia over energy, analysts warn

 

After Russia rode to Europe’s rescue and offered to increase gas supplies to the region amid soaring prices, experts said one thing had become abundantly clear: Europe is now largely at Russia’s mercy when it comes to energy, just as the U.S. had warned.

 

Natural gas contracts hit new highs in Europe this week — and regional benchmark prices are up almost 500% so far this year — with heightened demand and a squeeze in supply putting pressure on the energy sector as the weather turns colder.

 

Prices seesawed on Wednesday, hitting new highs before retreating after Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped in, offering an increase in Russia’s gas supplies to Europe.

 

Market analysts said the move showed that Europe was increasingly vulnerable to Russia, which is waiting for Germany to certify the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project which will bring more Russian gas to Europe via the Baltic Sea.

 

The $11 billion pipeline has now been completed much to the annoyance of the U.S. which has long-opposed the project, warning for years during its construction that it compromises Europe’s energy security and that Russia could seek to use energy supplies as leverage over the region.

 

The Obama and Trump administrations galvanized bipartisan opinion against the pipeline and President Joe Biden too announced sanctions against companies involved in the project, but these were waived in May in what was seen as an attempt by the U.S. to rebuild ties with Germany.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Trump wanted to be like Putin and’stay in power forever,’ according to his former national security adviser.

 

Former President Donald Trump’s senior national security adviser stated he adored Russian President Vladimir Putin and wished to “remain in power forever” like the strongman leader.

 

“He saw Putin as the kind of epitome of the badass populist, frankly, you know, the kind of person that he wanted to be: super-rich, super powerful, no checks and balances, and essentially being able to stay in power forever,” Fiona Hill, who previously served as senior director for Europe and Russia on Trump’s National Security Council, told Molly Jong-Fast of The Daily Beast on an episode of The New Abnormal podcast uploaded on Sunday.

 

Trump’s friendship with Putin has long been attacked, since the former president frequently appeared to defend the autocratic Russian leader in public before and during his presidency.

Putin has held power in Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999—more than two decades. He has routinely been accused of jailing, poisoning and killing his critics and political opponents throughout his tenure leading Russia.

 

Hill also told Jong-Fast that Putin appeared to utilize women to divert Trump’s attention away from him during their meetings.

 

“Putin made a big point, a big show of introducing Trump to the [female]interpreter,” Hill said. “Here’s a really pretty woman. She’s also a brilliant interpreter, but it was clearly meant to get Trump to look at her and not to be paying attention to what Putin was saying,” the former Trump administration official explained.

 

Trump has frequently praised Putin and his leadership of Russia. Many in Washington, both Democrats and Republicans, have expressed alarm about the former president’s apparent fondness for Putin, given Russia has long been viewed as the US’s main global opponent.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Bang]

I'm all shocked and whatnot.

 

~Dang

[China]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:25 AM, China said:

The U.S. was right — Europe has become a ‘hostage’ to Russia over energy, analysts warn

 

After Russia rode to Europe’s rescue and offered to increase gas supplies to the region amid soaring prices, experts said one thing had become abundantly clear: Europe is now largely at Russia’s mercy when it comes to energy, just as the U.S. had warned.

 

Natural gas contracts hit new highs in Europe this week — and regional benchmark prices are up almost 500% so far this year — with heightened demand and a squeeze in supply putting pressure on the energy sector as the weather turns colder.

 

Prices seesawed on Wednesday, hitting new highs before retreating after Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped in, offering an increase in Russia’s gas supplies to Europe.

 

Market analysts said the move showed that Europe was increasingly vulnerable to Russia, which is waiting for Germany to certify the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project which will bring more Russian gas to Europe via the Baltic Sea.

 

The $11 billion pipeline has now been completed much to the annoyance of the U.S. which has long-opposed the project, warning for years during its construction that it compromises Europe’s energy security and that Russia could seek to use energy supplies as leverage over the region.

 

The Obama and Trump administrations galvanized bipartisan opinion against the pipeline and President Joe Biden too announced sanctions against companies involved in the project, but these were waived in May in what was seen as an attempt by the U.S. to rebuild ties with Germany.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Vladimir Putin says Russia is not using energy as a weapon

 

President Vladimir Putin has rejected accusations that Russia is deliberately driving natural gas prices higher in Europe by withholding exports.

 

Speaking at an energy conference in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin called the accusations "politically motivated" and without evidence. His comments came as EU officials said lower than anticipated supplies of Russian gas were partly to blame for Europe's energy crisis and pledged to accelerate the bloc's efforts to wean itself off fossil fuels.

"Russia is not using any weapons," Putin said. "Even during the hardest parts of the Cold War, Russia regularly fulfilled its contractual obligations and supplied gas to Europe," he added.

 

Russia last interrupted gas exports to the European Union in January 2009 after failing to agree prices and pipeline transit tariffs with Ukraine. It also reduced gas flows briefly to Ukraine in 2006 and 2008 as the result of pricing disputes.

State-owned Gazprom warned of a repeat of the 2009 crisis in 2014 after Ukraine failed to pay its energy bills and Russia's relations with the West plummeted over its annexation of Crimea. That threat never materialized.

Putin struck a more conciliatory tone on Wednesday, saying that Russia was "prepared to discuss any additional steps" with European governments to tackle the worsening energy crisis.
"Russia flawlessly fulfills its contractual obligations to our partners, including our partners in Europe," he said. "Moreover, we always strive to meet our partners halfway."

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Well, if you say so Vlad, because you're totally believable and would never do anything to harm your adversaries.