Note: Kudos to Trump for his farsighted peaceful proposal to lift anti-Russian sanctions in exchange for nuclear arms reductions. Another common ground for cooperation could be the Arctic region.

Trump offers to Russia an end to sanctions for nuclear arms cut: 'I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially' - Reuters

Trump: 'NATO is very important to me' but it is obsolete because designed many years ago, countries aren’t paying and it didn’t deal with terrorism - Washington Examiner

Donald Trump avoids saying who he trusts more — Vladimir Putin or Angela Merkel, 'I start off trusting both — but let’s see how long that lasts' - Independent

Kremlin says judgement on Trump’s remarks about sanctions only possible after inauguration - TASS

Senator: Russia won’t trade security for lifting of sanctions, 'one of the main obstacles is the implementation of the US global missile defense plans' - RT

Kremlin agrees with Trump that NATO is 'vestige of past', according to the spokesman 'confrontation is the systemic goal of NATO' - TASS

Hollande on Trump's NATO remarks: Europe needs no policy advice from abroad - Sputnik

Merkel to Trump: Europe's destiny is ‘in our own hands' - VOA

German official says McCain told him he did not expect Trump to reverse the deployment of 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland. - AOL News

Don't add Montenegro to ‘obsolete' NATO: Senate shouldn't sacrifice U.S. security for Balkan mouse - Forbes

Army minister accuses Corbyn of siding with Russia against Nato after the Labour leader said 'I want to see a de-escalation, ultimately a de-militarisation...between both sides' - The Guardian

Inside Ike Eisenhower’s farewell warning: The military industrial complex - The Daily Beast

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Hundreds of U.S. Marines land in Norway, irking Russia - Reuters

US Marine force in Norway to eye Arctic and beyond - Stripes

Russian media: US Marines land in Norway, signaling departure from post-WW2 commitment to Russia - RT News

With about a third of its territory located north of the Arctic Circle, Russia is interested in developing projects in the region - Sputnik

Russia, Norway to sign final pact on disputed Arctic shelf exploration in April - Sputnik

Foreign Ministry in Oslo confirms possible political participation at Putin’s Arctic conference in Arkhangelsk in March - The Independent Barents Observer

Russia expands its presence in the Arctic, in the past two years it has opened six military bases - Russia Beyond The Headlines

Russia's nuclear-powered ice-breaker in the race to control the Arctic - Daily Mail Online

Russia deploys Arctic radar array on Wrangel Island - RT News

Russian Arctic ports have best year ever - The Independent Barents Observer

Siberian scientists to study Arctic 'anchor points' for development of Northern Sea Route - TASS

REPORT: Russia’s Arctic Obsession - Financial Times

US Navy Arctic drones: Ice melting too fast as competition with Russia intensifies - Scout

Experts from Russia and North America identify possible trends for the future of Arctic affairs and bilateral U.S.-Russian relations in the region - Russia Direct

International cooperation robust in the Arctic - Global Trade Magazine

Strategic thinking in the Russian Arctic: When threats become opportunities (1) - Red (Team) Analysis

Strategic Thinking in the Russian Arctic: When threats become opportunities (2) - Red (Team) Analysis

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

Note: Why the intelligence community included a two page summary of the ‘Trump dossier’ in the presidential and congressional briefing? The Trump dossier is unsubstantiated, contains falsities, outlandish claims, inaccuracies and typos. Veteran intelligence officials call it a complete fraud which 'violated basic standards for intelligence reporting.’ A disinformation analyst at the US Navy’s call it a forgery. Media critics call it dodgy. In a statement intelligence chief James Clapper wrote that ‘the IC has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable, and we did not rely upon it in any way for our conclusions. However, part of our obligation is to ensure that policymakers are provided with the fullest possible picture of any matters that might affect national security.’ Does this pile of garbage really affect national security? The Telegraph reports that the alleged author of the Trump dossier Christopher Steele had contact with the FBI in July 2017 to discuss the content of it. The intelligence agencies had ample time to verify the veracity of the dossier, make an analysis and reach final conclusions. Why they did not make an investigation if they felt that the dossier was worth of it. By enclosing the summary of the dossier in the presidential briefing the intelligence community publicized it and validated it even if they had not reached any judgement about it. The New York Times states that 'putting the summary in a report that went to multiple people in Congress and the executive branch made it very likely that it would be leaked.’ Below are analyses of the Trump dossier published in the media.

Intel vets say Trump ‘dossier' is a ‘complete fraud' - The Daily Caller

‘Forgery!’ Donald Trump spy file is ‘bogus,’ security expert claims - radaronline.com

The Trump dossier is fake — and here are the reasons why. 'A sad state of affairs where an anonymous report, full of bizarre statements, captures the attention of the world media' - Forbes

Spy fiction or malware? A closer look at a ‘dodgy’ Russia dossier on Trump – World Tribune

Credibility of Donald Trump 'dirty dossier' is undermined by basic errors, claims former British spy - Daily Mail Online

VIDEO: Former UK Security Minister raises doubts over Trump dossier - Daily Mail Online

Michael Cohen, an attorney for the president-elect, denies allegations contained in a dossier published by BuzzFeed News: 'It Is fake news meant to malign Mr. Trump' - The Atlantic

Russian tech expert named in Trump report says US intelligence never contacted him about the accusations, which he says are false - McClatchy DC

Russians named in Trump dossier dismiss claims, They were incredulous over allegations of ties to Kremlin-led efforts to interfere with U.S. elections - WSJ

UK spy ‘gathered' Trump intel without going to Russia - The Daily Caller

Theresa May says Trump dossier author has not worked for Britain for years - Reuters

Chris Steele’s friends describe a 007 figure but MI6 call him ‘an idiot’ - Support

Alleged Trump dossier author Christopher Steele met the FBI to discuss the background to the file he had compiled - The Telegraph 

Democrats accuse FBI director of stonewalling on Trump-Russia ties, as more call for him to step down - The Washington Post

US intel sources warn Israel against sharing secrets with Trump administration, fear will be leaked to Russia—and from Russia to its close ally Iran - Ynetnews News

Spy agencies around the world are digging into Trump’s Moscow ties - BuzzFeed News

REPORT: Full text of the Trump dossier - BuzzFeed News

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

By Dave Lindorff

McCain, Graham call for greater sanctions against Russia, say Trump in conflict with congressional Republicans if he doesn't get tougher on Putin - USAToday

McCain, Graham still have questions about Tillerson - POLITICO

Senator Menendez raises concerns on secretary of state nominee Tillerson over Russia, says he remains open to his nomination - dailyprogress.com

VIDEO: Full Interview: Lindsey Graham and John McCain On NBC's 'Meet The Press' - YouTube

McConnell: Trump's Russia hopes will quickly be dashed - Washington Examiner

VIDEO: McConnell predicts Trump's hope of better U.S.-Russia relationship will be 'will be dashed pretty quickly' - YouTube

House Intel Chair Nunes and committee's ranking Democrat Schiff: US friendship with Russia may not be possible - newsmax.com

VIDEO: Devin Nunes full Interview on 'Fox News Sunday' - YouTube

Pentagon chief Carter: We shouldn't 'limit ourselves' in response to Russia, 'I don’t think it should be a military, or purely military response' - TheHill

Pentagon chief Carter: Russian efforts in fight against ISIS 'virtually zero' - TheHill

VIDEO: Ash Carter interview On NBC's 'Meet The Press' - YouTube

Obama worried some citizens have more confidence in Vladimir Putin than fellow Democrats, says 'Putin is not on our team' - Orlando Sentinel

VIDEO: Obama on  ABC’s 'This Week’ says he didn't underestimate Putin but did misjudged Russia’s ability to tamper in the American electoral process YouTube

Reince Priebus says Trump accepts Russia is to blame for election-season hacking - slate.com

VIDEO: Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus says President elect Donald Trump accepts that Russia were behind the election hacking campaign - YouTube

Daniel Ellsberg hopes Trump, Putin can avoid doomsday scenario - San Francisco Chronicle

Russia election hack update: WikiLeaks will respond to CIA report Monday - ibtimes.com

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Note: Senators McCain, Graham and Klobuchar trip to Ukraine, the Baltics states and Georgia during the New Year 2017 holidays.

U.S. Senators vow no 'Faustian bargain' with Russia, pledge to target Putin ‘harder' - rferl.org

VIDEO: Interview with senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Aimee Klobuchar - YouTube

US senators McCain and Graham praise frontline Ukrainian marines in the Donetsk region, slam Putin – POLITICO

VIDEO: Sen. McCain in Donetsk region, Ukraine: Putin, we will defeat you in 2017 - YouTube

VIDEO: Poroshenko gives John McCain and US senators tour of Donetsk frontline on NYE - YouTube

VIDEO: Poroshenko awards Orders of Ukraine to US Senators McCain and Graham - YouTube

McCain calls for permanent US troops in Baltics - AFP

VIDEO: Senator McCain wants permanent US military presence in the Baltics - YouTube

US Senator McCain meets Lithuanian Prime Minister, reaffirms NATO support - Sputnik

John McCain reaffirms U.S. security guarantee against Russia during visit to Georgia - Democracy & Freedom Watch

VIDEO: U.S. Senator McCain visits Georgia's breakaway region frontier on the border to South Ossetia - rferl.org

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

Hundreds of U.S. tanks, trucks and other military equipment arrive in Germany to be deployed in eastern Europe as part of a NATO buildup - Reuters

Fort Carson: About 4,400 soldiers in the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team deploys to Europe for Operation Atlantic Resolve - TheDenverChannel.com

VIDEO: US military shipment arrives in Germany, ahead of NATO exercises - YouTube

New nuclear-armed subs get Pentagon OK before Obama leaves White House, a potential $126 billion project that the Navy calls its top priority - Bloomberg

NATO and Russia in game of cat and mouse in Baltic skies - AFP

NATO: Russian aircraft intercepted 110 times above Baltic in 2016 - newsweek.com

Germany continues augmenting Baltic air policing - NATO HQ Aircom

US sends elite commandos to reassure Baltic states while NATO beefs up defenses - Daily Mail Online

This is how NATO members are preparing for a possible Russian aggression in Baltic Sea - ibtimes.com

Defense minister: Turkey ‘can end US use of (Incirlik) base if interests hurt’, row between Ankara and Washington over relations with the Syrian Kurdish party PYD - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkey Defense Ministry report reveals İncirlik Air Base links to putschist F-16 pilots - Daily Sabah

ISIS jihadist admits: 'We want to attack Incirlik airbase' - pjmedia.com

In Turkey, US hand is seen provoking nearly every crisis - The Boston Globe

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Senators finalizing new Russia sanctions for next week, in response to hacking as well as ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria - TheHill

AUDIO: Senator Cardin details bill on Russian sanctions - WBAL Radio 1090 AM

Key Senate Republicans hesitant about Russia sanctions - Washington Examiner

Kerry: 'Very dangerous' for Trump to reverse sanctions on Russia - TheHill

Report: Anti-Russian sanctions annihilated 400,000 jobs in Europe - Fort Russ

Russia begins withdrawal from Syria, The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier naval group will be the first to leave the conflict area: official - TheHill

New satellite evidence of Russian Iskander M Missile deployment in Syria - Defense Update

Duterte hopes Russia will become Philippines' ally and protector - Reuters

Philippines’ Duterte open to Russian navy joint drill - newsweek.com

VIDEO: Duterte tours Russian warship: Come to Philippines more often - YouTube

Russian warship visit to Philippines part of broader pivot to Asia: analyst - ABS-CBN News

Russia's economy may be weak but its military is on a spending spree - afr.com

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

By Dave Lindorff

            The Russian hacking hysteria in the US media and, surprisingly, among educated liberals (who should know better after years of government lies and deceit, particularly about foreign affairs), is becoming increasingly embarrassing.

By Norman Solomon

Many top Democrats are stoking a political firestorm. We keep hearing that Russia attacked democracy by hacking into Democratic officials’ emails and undermining Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Instead of candidly assessing key factors such as longtime fealty to Wall Street that made it impossible for her to ride a populist wave, the party line has increasingly circled around blaming Vladimir Putin for her defeat.

Of course partisan spinners aren’t big on self-examination, especially if they’re aligned with the Democratic Party’s dominant corporate wing. And the option of continually fingering the Kremlin as the main villain of a 2016 morality play is clearly too juicy for functionary Democrats to pass up -- even if that means scorching civil liberties and escalating a new cold war that could turn radioactively hot.

According to both private cybersecurity firms and US intelligence agencies, there is no doubt that Russian group "Fancy Bear" (also known as Sofacy, APT 28, Sednit, Tsar Team or other names) hacked the Democratic party. Is Fancy Bear an agent of the Russian military intelligence service? I believe it is. Fancy Bear is well known by the cybersecurity experts and has been studied in the past at length. Since 2007, targets of Fancy Bear’s hacking have been Georgia and the Caucasus, Eastern European governments and militaries, Ukraine, US, Germany, UK, NATO, OSCE, Soros, etc. Lately it hacked the World Anti-Doping Agency in response to the WADA's recommendation to ban all Russian athletes from the Olympic games in Brazil. While China hacking conducts intellectual property theft, cybersecurity firm FireEye found that Fancy Bear 'has been targeting privileged information related to governments, militaries and security organizations that would likely benefit the Russian government.’ Another cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike states that Fancy Bear’s profile "closely mirrors the strategic interests of the Russian government."

During the years Fancy Bear’ hacking activity has grown in size, sophistication and scope. FireEye reports that Fancy Bear has continuously evolved its malware "using flexible and lasting platforms indicative of plans for long-term use and sophisticated coding practices;" it also uses obfuscation techniques to hide or disguise the code's true purpose and to prevent it from being detected. CrowdStrike has shown that Fancy Bear has the ability to run multiple and extensive intrusion operations concurrently; while it was hacking US political organizations was at the same time involved targeting European military organizations. CrowdStrike on Fancy Bear and another Russian hacking group "Cozy Bear": "Their tradecraft is superb, operational security second to none and the extensive usage of 'living-off-the-land' techniques enables them to easily bypass many security solutions they encounter. In particular, we identified advanced methods consistent with nation-state level capabilities including deliberate targeting and 'access management' tradecraft — both groups were constantly going back into the environment to change out their implants, modify persistent methods, move to new Command & Control channels and perform other tasks to try to stay ahead of being detected." This is not lone wolf or kiddie stuff. This level of activity requires a complex structure that only the Russian government can provide. The New York Times reports that Russian officials recruit programmers "placing prominent ads on social media sites, offering jobs to college students and professional coders.” Fancy Bear developers use the Russian language and operate during business hours consistent with the time zone of Russia’s major cities.

Also Cozy Bear was involved in the hacking of the Democratic party. Recently, after the American presidential elections, it attacked several Russia-focused think tanks in Washington DC who advise the US government. Crowdstrike said Cozy Bear has also been in the past behind attacks against the White House, State Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff. For convenience, here I only focus on Fancy Bear. Enclosed is publicly available documentation. Additional classified material may be in the hand of the US intelligence agencies.

In September 2015 Obama signed an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping in which both countries agreed not to hack the other’s private sector firms. After that there was a dramatic drop in Chinese state-sponsored hacking; around 90 percent of the cyber attacks disappeared in 2016. CrowdStrikes calls those Chinese hacking statistics "the biggest accomplishment we’ve had in the cyber domain in the last 30 years." Hopefully Trump will be able to do the same with Putin cutting down the Russian hacking. To this end, opening a friendly dialogue and establishing cooperation with Moscow will certainly help. Russians feel threatened by the West and their fears are the root causes of their cyberspionage surge.

REPORT: Bears in the Midst: Intrusion into the Democratic National Committee - CrowdStrike 

Findings from analysis of DNC intrusion malware - Threat Geek

Russian-linked group leaks US lawmakers’ phone numbers, emails - Nextgov.com

ThreatConnect follows Guccifer 2.0 to Russian VPN Service - ThreatConnect

Faketivists: Fancy Bears in disguise - ThreatConnect Blog

How hackers broke into John Podesta and Colin Powell’s Gmail accounts - Motherboard

Threat Group-4127 (Fancy Bear) targets Google accounts - SecureWorks

Russian hackers of DNC said to nab secrets from top NATO general, Soros - Bloomberg

Can a BEAR fit down a rabbit hole? Nexus between attacks against US State Election Boards and spearphishing campaign against Turkish, Ukrainian governments - ThreatConnect

Fancy Bears possibly involved in the hacking of OSCE which is monitoring a ceasefire between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists - softpedia.com

Fancy Bear tracks Ukraine troop movements via trojanized app - Infosecurity Magazine

Fancy Bear hack of Ukrainian artillery fighters shows future of war - Motherboard

REPORT: Danger Close: Fancy Bear Tracking of Ukrainian Field Artillery Units - CrowdStrike

Russian 'Fancy Bear' hackers targeted BBC election broadcasts and government departments - Daily Mail Online

Experts: Same Russians hacked World Anti-Doping Agency, Democrats - NBC News

REPORT: ThreatConnect Identifies FANCY BEAR World Anti-Doping Agency Breach - ThreatConnect

Fancy Bear hackers use a new Mac Trojan against aerospace industry – Cyber Defense Magazine

Fancy Bear goes all out to beat Adobe, MSFT zero-day patches - Ars Technica

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FBI-DHS report provides insight into Russian malicious cyber activity - eweek.com

REPORT: GRIZZLY STEPPE – Russian Malicious Cyber Activity - us-cert.gov

Critiques of the DHS/FBI’s GRIZZLY STEPPE Report – Robert M. Lee

Meet Fancy Bear, the Russian group hacking the US election - BuzzFeed News

All signs point to Russia being behind the DNC hack - Motherboard

Russian government likely to be behind APT 28 (Fancy Bear): Bitdefender - scmagazineuk.com

REPORT: APT28 (Fancy Bear) Under the Scope: A Journey into Exfiltrating Intelligence and Government Information - bitdefender.com

APT28: A Window into Russia's cyber espionage operations? APT28 is most likely sponsored by the Russian government based on numerous factors - FireEye Inc

How Russia recruited elite hackers for its cyberwar - The New York Times

Obama curbed Chinese hacking, but Russia wont be so easy - WIRED

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

FM spokesperson: US defense bill 'directly threatens' security of Russian military in Syria, delivering more weapons to rebels including portable anti-aircraft missiles - RT

U.S. says not providing portable anti-aircraft missiles to Syrian rebels - Reuters

Russia: US defense bill to create problems for the Trump administration, 'as well as to force it to adopt an anti-Russia policy' - TheHill

Russia Foreign Ministry: Washington seeks to disrupt nuclear parity with Moscow - TASS

Comment by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on new US National Defence Authorisation Act - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Boris Johnson called 'undiplomatic and unprofessional' by Russia over Syria comments - Mirror Online

Moscow would welcome Henry Kissinger’s expertise in Russia-US relations: Kremlin - RT News

American officials: US, Russian militaries sharing more information on Syria, with both sides trading information in real time and even outlining some of their strategic objectives - AP

John McCain op-ed: We have a stake in Syria, yet we have done nothing - Chicago Tribune

McCain: NATO key to stopping 'Russian misbehavior' - TheHill

Obama administration is close to announcing measures to punish Russia for election interference - The Washington Post

Intelligence agencies sued for records on Russian election interference - TheHill

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Russia says will boost cooperation with Turkey, Iran on Syria: Interfax - Reuters

Kazakh leader says ready to host Russia, Iran, Turkey for Syria talks - rferl.org

Turkey says Saudis, Qatar should attend Syria peace talks - Bloomberg

Erdogan accuses West of 'supporting all the terror groups -- the YPG, PYD but also including Daesh (IS)', breaking promises in Syria - AFP

U.S. calls 'ludicrous' Turkey's claims coalition supported terrorists in Syria - Reuters

Putin orders expansion of Russia’s naval base in Tartus, Syria - Countercurrents

Iran considers letting Russia use its Hamadan base - Al Arabiya English

Russian troops in Aleppo report finding mass graves with tortured and mutilated bodies - AP

First photos of Russian military police in Syria's Aleppo - southfront.org

Iran says could send military advisors to Syria's Aleppo if needed: RIA - Reuters

Massive battle brewing in western Palmyra as Syrian Army mobilizes 7000 soldiers to fight ISIS - almasdarnews.com

Unknown special forces eliminate leaders of militant groups in Syria - southfront.org

Saudi Arabian king launches fundraising campaign for Syria, donates millions - ibtimes.com

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

Putin says he wants no nuclear arms race, seeks to improve armaments piercing NATO missile defenses deployed near Russia borders - New York Times

Putin: Systems overcoming anti-missile defense more effective than missile shield itself - TASS

VIDEO: Putin says Russia's nukes can pierce any defense system - YouTube

Putin ‘gives signal' to Trump about consequences of US exit from ABM Treaty that barred the parties from deploying anti-ballistic missile systems - Sputnik

Defense Ministry reveals Russian army's plans for upcoming year - TASS

Russia Defense Minister: Instead of uniting against terrorism, NATO declares Russia main threat and increases its military potential near our borders’ - TASS

TRANSCRIPT: Expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board • President of Russia

Russian forces receive 139 new aircraft, 4 missile regiments reequipped: Shoigu - Sputnik

Two Russian army formations rearmed with Iskander tactical missiles in 2016 - TASS

Four new Russian missile forces with Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems on combat duty: Minister - Sputnik

Russia to float out 2 nuclear submarines in 2017 - TASS

Russian Black Sea fleet to receive 3 Submarines, 2 Frigates in 2017: Commander - Sputnik

Russian Navy to receive 2 new Arctic bases: Northern Fleet Commander - Sputnik

Russian MoD to receive advanced electronic warfare system in 2017: UIMC - Sputnik

Russian scientists working on new hypersonic aircraft to break through missile defense systems: RIA Nostosti - Sputnik

Production of the hypersonic missile is expected to be launched in 2017 - Sputnik

US Air Force report: Hypersonic missiles From China, Russia pose growing danger - freebeacon.com

Russian Army to get weapons to fight mini-drone swarms in two years - TASS

Russian defense contractor to start working on 3rd generation doomsday planes, expected to be used in case of a nuclear war if ground command centers were destroyed - TASS

Russia tested over 160 new weapons in Syrian operation: defense minister - RT News

Snap combat drills demonstrate rapid development capabilities of Russian Army: Putin - Sputnik

Serbia to receive 6 fighter jets, 30 tanks, 30 combat vehicles From Russia - Sputnik

Russian defense minister proposes holding joint drills with Serbia annually - TASS

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Putin says will gladly visit US if Trump invites him, agrees with Trump Russia-US relations ‘worse than ever' - TASS

Putin sees no big news in Trump’s statements on bolstering US nuclear potential - TASS

Trump: I got a 'very nice letter' from Putin about improving relations - CNBC

Putin’s letter to Trump - Google Drive

Putin says Western sanctions hampering cooperation on counter-terrorism - Reuters

US Commerce Dept adds 23 Russian entities to sanctions list - Sputnik

Putin sees hope for economy in wage growth, easing recession - Bloomberg

Labor productivity in Russia’s defense industry ‘rockets’: Putin - Sputnik

POLL: Over 60% of Russians trust President Putin - Sputnik

VIDEO: Putin holds annual Q&A marathon, (Starts at 11:20 min) - YouTube

TRANSCRIPT: Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference • President of Russia

Did Putin get Botox plastic surgery? He looks younger - Mediaite

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike finds evidence that Russian military unit was behind DNC hack, links DNC malware to one in an app used by the Ukrainian army - Washington Post

Interview with CrowdStrike chief on the new evidence of Russian role in DNC hack - PBS NewsHour

Report: Use of Fancy Bear Android Malware in Tracking of Ukrainian Field Artillery Units - Crowdstrike

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

Russia, Iran, Turkey say ready to broker Syria deal, adopt the ‘Moscow Declaration' which set out the principles - Reuters

Moscow Declaration: Joint statement by Iran, Russia and Turkey on agreed steps to revitalize the political process to end the Syrian conflict - Russian Foreign Ministry

Russian, Iranian and Turkish FMs hold joint press conference on Syria - Sputnik

VIDEO (English): Russian, Iranian and Turkish FM's full joint press conference after meeting on Syria - YouTube

Telephone conversation between Putin and Egypt President el-Sisi, The two discussed the situation in the Middle East, including settlement of the crises in Syria and Libya - President of Russia

U.S. plays down absence from Moscow talks on Syria, says not 'sidelined' - Reuters

Russia-Iran-Turkey statement useful for resumption of Syria talks in Geneva: UN - Sputnik

Syrian opposition delegation’s chief negotiator Alloush: ‘Moscow Declaration’ is a crime; must get ready for post-Aleppo battles - Al Arabiya 

John Bolton on the US exclusion from the Russia-Turkey-Iran talks on Syria: 'We’ve got to strengthen ties, if we can, with all of the Gulf nations, the six oil producing monarchies' - Hugh Hewitt Show

Iranian security chief says Iran, Russia share military base In Syria – World Tribune

Hezbollah fighting in Syria with U.S. weapons supplied to Lebanese army, IDF says - Haaretz.com

Former Nusra Front claims responsibility for Russian Ambassador's assassination - Sputnik

Ambassador shooting: Russia pushes back on Turkey's Gulenist claim - CNN.com

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U.S. sanctions more companies, people over Russia actions in Ukraine - Reuters

Statement: Treasury sanctions individuals and entities in connection with Russia's occupation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine - treasury.gov

US State Department hopes Trump would see wisdom in keeping sanctions on Russia - Sputnik

VIDEO: State Dept says new sanctions were prompted by the Russian annexation of Crimea and support for militias in eastern Ukraine - NYTimes.com

EU decision on extending anti-Russia sanctions takes effect - Sputnik

Moscow to take adequate measures over US expansion of anti-Russian sanctions - TASS

Kremlin calls US-Russian ties 'frozen on practically all levels', unsure about Trump - AP

State Department rejects Russia's claim that dialogue has ended - Washington Examiner

POLL: Most economists say U.S. to ease sanctions over next 12 months - Bloomberg

Report: Russians regularly shelled Eastern Ukraine in 2014 - ABC News

U.S.-supplied drones disappoint Ukraine at the front lines, proven ineffective against jamming and hacking by Russia and the separatists - Reuters

Sources: Russia tests anti-satellite weapon - CNNPolitics.com

Russia missing from Trump’s top defense priorities, according to DoD memo - Foreign Policy

Text of DoD memo on Trump’s top defense priorities - Foreign Policy

Senate Dems plan proxy war against Trump with Tillerson confirmation - newsmax.com

POLL: Only one-third of Americans say Russia influenced 2016 election - POLITICO

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

This week began with a mass email from the head of the Democratic National Committee, who declared: “By now, Americans know beyond any reasonable doubt that the Russian government orchestrated a series of cyberattacks on political campaigns and organizations over the past two years and used stolen information to influence the presidential campaign and congressional races.” DNC chair Donna Brazile went on: “The integrity of our elections is too important for Congress to refuse to take these attacks seriously.”

NATO and Russia talk at the Council meeting, but remain divided on Ukraine - Reuters

Statement by the NATO Secretary General following a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council - NATO

VIDEO: NATO Secretary General statement following NATO-Russia Council - YouTube

Ahead of talks US ambassador to NATO Lute accuses Russia of being 'a source of instability and uncertainty’ - RT

VIDEO: US ambassador to NATO Lute accuses Russia of becoming 'a source of instability and uncertainty' - YouTube

4000 American elite troops arrive to Eastern Europe in January, the biggest deployment in the past 20 years and will cost some USD 3.4 billion - Romania Insider

U.S. army returns 1,600 tanks to Europe as NATO eyes assertive Russia, a Dutch installation to house this 'strategically prepositioned critical war stock’ (VIDEO) - NBC

British Government extends military training for Ukrainian troops 'in face of a more belligerent Russia' - The Independent

European defense budgets climb as NATO countries step up spending - NBC

Stoltenberg: NATO is considering strengthening its presence in the Black Sea - UAWire

Romania boosts NATO role as Black Sea tension rises - irishtimes.com

Lavrov: Kyiv's initiative of patrolling Black Sea jointly with NATO provocative - KyivPost

Russia will respond if NATO establishes military group in Black Sea: Foreign Ministry - Sputnik

Russia to 'expand mobile nuclear missile patrols' near European borders to respond to Nato 'threats' in 2017 - The Independent

Serbia to get Russian fighter jets to counter NATO threat - ABC News

Kremlin hails Kissinger for Putin comments stating the Russian President was an effective advocate for his nation's interest - US News

VIDEO: Henry Kissinger on Russia hacking & Putin - CBS News

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UN approves sending monitors to Aleppo as evacuations resume - ABC News

Security Council Resolution 2328: Demanding immediate, unhindered access for observation of monitoring civilian evacuations from Aleppo - ReliefWeb

Russia, Iran and Turkey to hold Syria talks in Moscow on Tuesday - Reuters

Putin tells Rouhani he wants Syria conflict resolved soon: Kremlin - Reuters

Gunman kills Russian ambassador to Turkey, shouts 'God is great' - usatoday.com

VIDEO: Footage of Russian ambassador assassinated in Turkey - YouTube

Putin calls ambassador murder provocation aimed at derailing Syria negotiations - Sputnik

VIDEO: Putin comments on ambassador assassination in Ankara - YouTube

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker to launch new Russia hacking inquiry, It will be the third Senate committee to dig into the issue - CNN

House Intelligence Committee Chair Nunes won't start new probe into Russian hacking - TPM

House Intel Committee Chairman Nunes: CIA report on Russia meddling conflicts with DNI testimony - Fox News

Devin Nunes’ letter to DNI James Clapper on the CIA's assessment that Russia sought to tilt the presidential election toward Trump - POLITICO

Congress can’t decide how to probe charges Russia aimed to help Trump - The Washington Post

Obama doubles down on Trump, blames Russia for hacking - New York Post

Top intel office not on same page as CIA regarding Russia hack assessment - Fox News

40 Electoral College members demand briefing on Russian interference, all are Democrats except one Republican - TheHill

Kremlin calls talk of Russian interference in U.S. elections ‘absolute nonsense’  - The Washington Post

CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that first publicly linked the hacking to Russian intelligence, says cyberattack waged on Clinton campaign just days before vote - Yahoo News

Did the Russians “hack” the election? A look at the established facts - Ars Technica

Vladimir Putin "ready" to meet Donald Trump "any moment" but likely after innauguration - CBS News

‘West has been blaming Russia for everything, now there’s backlash’: Gorbachev - RT News

VIDEO: Gorbachev: "World needs Russia & the U.S. to cooperate" - CBS News

Excerpts from AP interview with Mikhail Gorbachev - US News

Syria rebels reach evacuation deal with government in Aleppo, fighters would be evacuated on buses - Al Jazeera

State Dept. unaware of Russia, Turkey deal on Syria cease-fire and a safe passage for rebel fighters looking to leave Aleppo - Washington Examiner

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Moscow sees Rex Tillerson as chance to end sanctions, reboot U.S. ties - WSJ

Priebus: Trump won't rule out lifting Russia sanctions - POLITICO

Tillerson visited White House often over Russia sanctions, advocated against them - Bloomberg

Exxon would win if Tillerson works to lift Russia sanctions - CNN

McCain again voices concerns about Tillerson's ties to Putin - TheHill

EU leaders to discuss extending sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, Merkel and Hollande back extending them - Reuters

Kremlin comments on Merkel, Hollande offer to extend sanctions against Russia: they lead to a deadlock, cannot facilitate solutions to any problems - TASS

Austrian Vice Chancellor repeats call for phasing out of anti-Russia sanctions - Sputnik

EU officials look into Rosneft sale for possible sanctions breach - Reuters

Japan says 'no deal' with Russia that undermines G7 sanctions - SMC

Russia's Putin says Western sanctions an obstacle to talks with Japan: media - Reuters

Putin: Disruptions of EU gas supplies via Ukraine possible - The New York Times

Sweden won't block Nord Stream harbor deals, but raises defense concerns - Reuters

Iran, Russia sign major deal on development of oil, gas fields - Tasnim News Agency

Russia's Rosneft takes part of Egyptian gas field for $1.6B - ABC News

Russia's biggest oil producer rises from slump, looks to 2017 - TheStreet

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As the hysteria about Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S. election grows, a key mystery is why U.S. intelligence would rely on “circumstantial evidence” when it has the capability for hard evidence, say U.S. intelligence veterans.

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

MEMORANDUM

Allegations of Hacking Election Are Baseless

Trump says Secretary of State candidate Tillerson’s ties with Russia is a ‘great advantage...he knows many of the players, and he knows them well' - New York Post

VIDEO: Chris Wallace asks Donald Trump: Why pick business exec Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State? - YouTube

GOP senators challenge Trump on Secretary of State prospect Tillerson's Russia ties - Fox News

McCain: Tillerson ties to Putin a 'matter of concern', the Russian president 'is a thug, bully and a murderer, and anybody else who describes him as anything else is lying' - TheHill

VIDEO: Interview with Sen. John McCain on Russia (Tillerson question at 5:55 min) - YouTube

Democratic Sen. Menendez Statement: ‘Reports that Rex Tillerson could be nominated to be our nation's top diplomat is alarming and absurd' - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez

Democratic Sen. Casey: Trump's potential Tillerson nomination raises 'serious questions about whether the incoming Administration will adequately stand up to Russia’s aggression' - The Morning Call

Statement of DNC Communications Director Adam Hodge (bottom of page): 'Trump's outrageous pick of Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State...another victory for Vladimir Putin' - bustle.com

Behind the deep ties between Exxon's Rex Tillerson and Russia - CNN

What the Chinese think about Exxon's Rex Tillerson - Yahoo Finance

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Trump: Claims of Russian interference in 2016 race 'ridiculous,' Dems making excuses - Fox News

Senate Republicans join Democrats in calling for probe of Russian electioneering hacks - CBS News

McCain, Graham, Schumer, Reed joint statement on reports that Russia interfered with the 2016 election - United States Commitee on Armed Services

Trump, CIA on collision course over Russia’s role in U.S. election - The Washington Post

FBI and CIA give differing accounts to lawmakers on Russia’s evidence in 2016 hacks of American elections - The Washington Post

New York Times editorial: Russia’s hand in America’s election - The New York Times

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By Dave Lindorff

U.S. Senators urge Trump to take tough line on Russia - Reuters

Full text of the senators’ letter calling on pres.-elect Trump to stand against Russian aggression, support NATO, Ukrainian sovereignty - Rob Portman

Congress reassures Baltic representatives on NATO commitment - defensenews.com

Republicans ready to launch wide-ranging probe of Russia alleged meddling in the U.S. elections and its potential cyberthreats to the military - Chicago Tribune

Obama orders 'full review' of possible Russian hacking in US election - The Guardian

Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House - The Washington Post

EU, NATO cement 'transatlantic bond' before Trump takes office - Reuters

Joint press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini - NATO

European Defence Action Plan: Towards a European Defence Fund - European Commission

Opinion: US should redesign NATO and let Europe lead its defense - US News

NATO chief urges West to keep pressuring Russia over Ukraine - AP

Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of Foreign Ministers - NATO

NATO troops are to be put on heightened alert amid mounting tensions with Russia - Daily Mail Online

Pentagon awards $350Mln contract to integrate joint planning systems for NATO members - Sputnik

Montenegro's accession to NATO faces hurdle, White House and Pentagon support the Balkan state gaining membership but the Senate has yet to approve it and Trump could oppose it - The Guardian

Lavrov: NATO trying to drag Montenegro into alliance before Obama leaves office - TASS

Opinion: Lame duck Senate shouldn't ratify NATO's inclusion of corrupt, military midget Montenegro - Forbes

ARCHIVE: NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark overruled in Kosovo, General Jackson rejected his order saying: 'No, I'm not going to do that. It's not worth starting World War III' - New York Times

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Satellite images suggest that Russia appears to be preparing to permanently base its nuclear capable Iskander missile system in Kaliningrad - NPR

Russia’s buildup in Kaliningrad to test Donald Trump on NATO, U.S. calls Moscow’s moves to reinforce its territory between Poland and Lithuania ‘destabilizing’ - WSJ

Inside Russia's stronghold of Kaliningrad 'where World War Three could start' - Daily Mail Online

Russian Foreign Ministry refutes claims on militarization of Kaliningrad exclave - Sputnik

Putin sends a squadron of Russia’s new Su-35S fighter jets to the Finnish border - Daily Mail Online

Russia tests nuclear-capable drone sub that poses a major strategic threat to U.S. ports and harbors - Washington Free Beacon

Russia announces new drone sub that can mimic any other submersible vessel potentially fooling the enemy - SOFREP

US Navy searching for Russian submarines feared to have been sent after NATO warships - Daily Mail Online

Russian ambassador to Swedish television: ‘We have no plans whatsoever to invade Sweden’ - The Washington Post

Trump has Goldman Sachs rethinking Russia - Forbes

One-time Trump adviser Page sees business opportunities in Russia - Reuters

Vladimir Putin advised Oliver Stone on Snowden film - TV3 Xposé

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https://soundcloud.com/davidcnswanson/talk-nation-radio-chip-gibbons-on-anti-russia-committee-and-censoring-criticism-of-israel

Chip Gibbons is the Policy and Legislative Counsel for the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. He is also a writer whose work has been featured in Jacobin, Truthout, and Counterpunch. We discuss U.S. Congressional efforts to censor criticism of the Israeli government, and to create a new McCarthyite Anti-Russia Committee.

The petition we mention is here.

The account of a sleeping Congress Member we mention is here.

Host: David Swanson.
Producer: David Swanson.
Music by Duke Ellington.

Download from LetsTryDemocracy or Archive.

Pacifica stations can also download from Audioport.

Syndicated by Pacifica Network.

Please encourage your local radio stations to carry this program every week!

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Past Talk Nation Radio shows are all available free and complete at
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and at
https://soundcloud.com/davidcnswanson/tracks

Note: The next US Secretary of State should be one who has a deep knowledge of Russia, willing to engage in friendly talks with Moscow and build a partnership to foster world peace and security. In my opinion Russia is right in Syria, Ukraine and with regard to NATO.

11 NATO states take part in massive ‘Iron Sword’ drills in Lithuania - RT News

New Cold War: US Marines' war games on Norway-Russia border - CNN.com

VIDEO: US Marines in Lithuania - Exercise Iron Sword 16 - YouTube

German president visits NATO command center, reassures eastern members of Berlin's commitments, questions Trump campaign comments - DW.COM

Britain expects Donald Trump to 'stand up' to Russia and not treat it 'as any kind of equal partner’, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon warns - telegraph.co.uk

Britain to send troops to Poland as NATO deployment against ‘increasing Russian aggressiveness’ - news.com.au

NATO should be acting as a bridge between Baltics & Russia, defuse tension: UK Tory MP - RT UK

France says lifting sanctions on Russia would be counterproductive - Reuters

Italian minister would welcome more openness to Russia from U.S. - Reuters

Peace talks in Minsk end without agreement, both Ukraine and Russia hardened their positions and there was no political agreement on holding local elections in Donbass - Reuters

Russian Senator warns Ukraine against missile-firing exercise in Crimea airspace - TASS

Does NATO need Montenegro? How does this tiny Balkan nation contribute to NATO’s collective security? The short answer is: It doesn’t. - The National Interest

Arms expert Joe Cirincione op-ed: Trump should halt US missile-defense plans in Europe - Defense One

GOP supporters of better Cuba relations warn Trump not to let Russia, China step in. - McClatchy DC

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Russia fully deploys 2 new divisions near Western border - The Washington Post

Russia to deploy S-400 and nuclear-capable Iskander missile systems in Kaliningrad as "countermeasures" to NATO expansion - CBS News

Putin's robo-tank: New weapon is deployed to the Polish border to protect Russia's missile launchers from attack - Daily Mail Online

Moscow offered NATO to hold consultations on military flights over Baltic sea but the bloc refused - Sputnik

NATO drills in Georgia negatively affect regional safety: Russia Foreign Ministry - Sputnik

No sign of NATO giving up myth of 'Russian threat' in policymaking: Envoy - Sputnik

Russian diplomat says spending so much time on Russia-NATO Council agenda is pointless - TASS

Russia, Uzbekistan sign treaty on military-technical cooperation - TASS

Armenia is literally joining forces with Russia - Foreign Policy

Russia eyes supplying military hardware to the Philippines - ABC News

Philippines foreign affairs secretary: Duterte to visit Russia in 2017 - CNN Philippines

Libyan commander Haftar visits Russia to ask for help: 'We hope we will eliminate terrorism with your help in the nearest future' - Reuters

Russian top diplomat Lavrov praises Libyan army for its role in protecting state’s independence - TASS

VIDEO (Russian/Arabic): Lavrov and Libyan Marshal Haftar laud strong bilateral ties - YouTube

Putin orders mobile hospitals to be sent to residents of Aleppo, Syria - RT News

Russia to send 100,000 tons of wheat in humanitarian aid to Syria - THE DAILY STAR

Turkey entered Syria to end al-Assad’s rule: President Erdoğan - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkish parliament endorse ratification of the Turkish-Russian stream pipeline deal - Sputnik

Turkish premier to visit Russia on December 6-7 - TASS

Are relations between Pakistan and Russia beginning to thaw? - Daily Mail Online

To contact Bartolo email peaceloverblog[at]yahoo[dot]com (replacing [at] with @, [dot] with .)

By Dave Lindorff

Note: Dana Rohrabacher is my pick among the current Secretary of State Candidates.

Dana Rohrabacher op-ed: Why is America restarting the cold war with Russia? This is belligerent nonsense, a stunning and total failure of vision - National Interest

VIDEO: Rep. Rohrabacher opposes the new cold war on Russia and the 'Ukraine Support Bill', Mar 2014 - YouTube

VIDEO: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher: Russia and the US need to work together to defeat the radical Islamic terrorism, Apr 2015 - YouTube

VIDEO: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher grills U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power on Ukraine, Jun 2015 - YouTube

VIDEO: Rep. Rohrabacher questions administration on TPP trade deal, Jun 2015 - YouTube

VIDEO: Senator Rohrabacher: Assad was never a threat to United States, Feb 2016 - YouTube

VIDEO: Dana Rohrabacher questions Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the genocide of Christians in the Middle East, Feb 2016 - YouTube

VIDEO: Subcommittee Chairman Rohrabacher's opening statements on Turkey’s democratic decline, Jul 2016 - YouTube

VIDEO: Rohrabacher at House Foreign Relations Committee on the Gulen movement and the July coup attempt in Turkey, Oct 2016 - YouTube

VIDEO: Congressman Rohrabacher on basic human rights violations in Turkey, Nov 2016 - YouTube

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Obama: I hope Trump can stand up to Russia 'where they are deviating from our values and international norms’ - CNBC

VIDEO: Obama urges Trump to ‘stand up' to Russia - YouTube

TRANSCRIPT: Read President Obama’s comments urging Donald Trump to stand up to Russia - TIME

VIDEO: Full press conference by Barack Obama and Angela Merkel following meeting - YouTube

Obama, Angela Merkel issue joint op-ed responding to Donald Trump - CBS News

Op-ed by President Obama and Chancellor Merkel: The future of transatlantic relations - whitehouse.gov

In private meeting, Euro diplomats beseech Trump team to uphold transatlantic pacts - Foreign Policy

NATO general says Trump not serious about abandoning treaty - The Washington Post

Democratic Senator Cardin’s op-ed: The United States needs to hold Russia accountable for its aggression - The Washington Post

Kremlin: Obama team trying to damage ties with Russia - ABC News

Philippines’ Duterte: 'If China and Russia would decide to create a new order, I will be the first to join’ - FT.com

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US condemns Russia and Syria as Aleppo offensive escalates, Moscow claims not bombing Aleppo but al Qaeda in Idlib - CBS News

Russia launches multiple air attacks on militant targets in Syria: defence ministry - Reuters

Long-range bombers from an air base in southern Russia strike Syria for 1st time in a year, US officials say - Fox News

State Dept spokesman dismisses question from Russia Today on Syria, says won’t treat it like other media, later a State Dept official apologized - RT News

VIDEO: State Department spokesman gets into heated exchange over Syria with Russia Today reporter - YouTube

VIDEO: Anti-Russian hysteria pervading political circles: British Conservative Party MP Kawczynski - YouTube

Donald Trump striking a Syria deal with Russia would be ‘most disastrous step possible’, Saudi Arabian prince warns - The Independent

Former head of the Turkish military see Syria hopeful opening in Trump’s outreach to Moscow - Washington Times

Turkey′s NATO officials seek asylum in Germany amid Erdogan crackdown - DW.COM

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Senator Tom Cotton: No thaw with Russia until Putin adopts ‘new set of boundaries', the United States is 'ironclad in our support of our NATO allies' - freebeacon.com

VIDEO: Sen. Tom Cotton speaks with David Sanger during Defense One Summit, November 17, 2016 - YouTube

Cotton warns of Russian and Chinese aggressiveness in call for supplemental defense spending - The Weekly Standard

Statement by Senator Cotton on a $26 Billion emergency spending defense supplemental for FY 2017 on the Senate Floor - cotton.senate.gov

VIDEO: Sen. Tom Cotton statement on the Senate floor about his intention to offer a $26 billion emergency spending defense supplemental, November 16, 2016 - YouTube

Lawmakers move to restrain President-elect Trump on Russia - The Washington Post

GOP foreign-policy power brokers in Congress could foil Trump on Russia, Syria, and other top security issues - Foreign Policy

Statement by McCain on U.S.-Russia relations: Another ‘reset’ would be complicity in Putin and Assad’s butchery of the Syrian people - mccain.senate.gov

Top Republicans don't know where Trump will be on Ukraine - The Weekly Standard

Top Senate Democrat Cardin challenges Trump on Russia: In interview he lays out a foreign policy platform for the incoming Congress - al-monitor.com

House passes sanctions on anyone who provides the Syrian government with financial, material or technological support - The Washington Post

NSA head: Dem hacks were a conscious effort by Russia - TheHill

Washington Post editorial: The United States is giving Putin the green light for atrocities - The Washington Post

Influential conservative think tank Heritage Foundation says Russia — not ISIS — is greatest threat - Washington Examiner

Heritage Foundation 2017 Index of U.S. Military Strength: scores security threats worldwide, the global operating environment, and U.S. military power - heritage.org

Transatlantic Forum on Russia: Event will be webcast live from this page on Nov 17 - Center for Strategic and International Studies

European leaders, NATO caution Trump on warming relations with Russia - The Washington Post

NATO says Crimea still a concern, day after Trump-Putin call - nation.com.pk

Ex-Nato leaders call for extraordinary meeting with Trump, warn US president-elect against deal with Putin that would cede Crimea - The Guardian

Ukraine President asks Trump to help counter ‘Russian aggression’ - WSJ

Putin pulls Russia out of International Criminal Court day after report on Crimea annexation - Fox News

Two-thirds of Russians want Putin to remain president after 2018: study - RT Russian politics

Le Pen says 'world peace' would gain from a Trump-Putin-Le Pen trio - Reuters

Russian sanctions cost Italy €7bn and up to 200,000 jobs: Italian MP - RT Business

Italian M5S movement ‘against NATO's creeping policy' of nearing Russian border - Sputnik

Philippine President wants to be friends with Trump, Putin - ABC News

Trump-led US could become Syria’s ‘natural ally’ if it fights terrorism: Assad - RT News

Full text of President Bashar al-Assad interview given to RTP TV - Syrian TV

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The next Secretary of State should understand the positive role that Russia is playing not only in the crucial existential fight against terrorism (if Islamic State gets chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, they will use them) but also as a force of peace and stability in the world. Russia has a formidable military which has not being engaged in recent past wars therefore not affected by combat fatigue unlike the U.S military. Russia military should not be underestimated and threatened like Rudy Giuliani did in a recent interview: "Russia thinks it's a military competitor, it really isn’t, it's our unwillingness under Obama to even threaten the use of our military that makes Russia so powerful.” John Bolton expressed the same line: "Well, I think relations are very unsatisfactory, largely due to the behavior of Russia...I think he [Trump] is going to be a strong leader, I think that will have two dramatic impacts on Putin. Number one, it'll make him a lot more hesitant to try and extend Russian influence, and two, what may seem paradoxical but what I think is true, it'll make Putin more inclined to cooperate.” Putin will not desist because Ukraine and Syria are Russia’s strategic and security interests. Plus Russia has the backing of China in international conflicts.

Russia has legitimate interests in Ukraine because of their hystorical relationship and economic cooperation and because there is the presence of a sizeable Russian speaking population in Ukraine: according to 2001 census they are 29.3 percent of the total population. In some Eastern regions they are the majority. In Crimea they are 77 percent. This Russian speaking population has close economic, cultural and family ties with Russia. The European Union proposed to Ukraine the Association Agreement without taking into consideration the Russian interests and rejecting trilateral talks between Ukraine, the EU and Russia.

In Syria, Russia is opposing well-armed jihadist groups who threaten the lives of the people, the fabric of the society and its State institutions and impede a political solution leading to democratic elections. Russia has been accused to prop up the Assad government but the ouster of Assad, which has been demanded by the past US administration, would throw the country in a state of chaos with no central authority and with militias holding the real power.