reSee.it - Related Video Feed

Vladimir Putin is believed to be a war criminal assisting another war criminal in killing his own people. Russia's interference in the 2016 election was detailed in a report by the Republican Majority Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Marco Rubio. Partnering with Putin on cybersecurity is akin to partnering with Assad on chemical weapons. As long as Assad is in Syria, there will be radical elements. Countries that support Assad are accomplices in war crimes. As long as Assad is in power, radical elements will fight against him. Assad should be removed through a combination of Syrian alternatives, not foreign forces. Israel is a strategic ally, and Benjamin Netanyahu defends shared values. Some Democrats are criticized for boycotting Netanyahu's visit to Congress. The Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran was a mistake. Putin is getting desperate and crushing information with censorship laws and press restrictions. Russia is recruiting fighters from Syria for urban combat in Ukraine, potentially escalating the conflict. Putin will double down and lock down, suppressing dissent. He views human nature manipulatively and aims to restore the Soviet Union. Ceasefires are opportunities for him to reload and pick more targets. Any man in Ukraine who picks up a rifle is now considered a military target.

In 2014, after the Sochi Olympics, Russia attacked the Eastern Donbas regions in Crimea, taking advantage of what they perceived as weakness in the United States. The US was heavily involved in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq, struggling to succeed in the global war on terror. Then, along came Trump.

Putin's war against Ukraine has ended any hope that his regime can be deterred or play a responsible role in international affairs through diplomacy. After visiting Kyiv in January with a bipartisan delegation to meet with President Zelenskyy, and recently traveling to Poland and the Ukraine border, it's clear the crimes in Ukraine are creating massive humanitarian and military challenges for our NATO allies on a scale not seen since the Cold War.

In 2017, we will fight for our homeland and stand against Russian aggression. We are not against the Russian people, but against Putin. Our goal is to make sure your bravery is known to the American people and the world. We will take your calls to Washington and push the case against Putin. It's time for Russia to face a heavier price.

Vladimir Putin's interference in our past election is a topic we don't discuss often. However, it is important to acknowledge that he has meddled in various ways, such as funding political parties, candidates, and bribing government officials in different countries. This is his modus operandi, as he despises democracy, particularly in the West, and holds a strong animosity towards us. Looking ahead to 2024, it is crucial to address this issue and have more conversations about it.

Vladimir Putin is attempting to weaponize energy, and the U.S. is currently responding with sanctions and support for Europe. However, in the short term, the focus should be on increasing fossil fuel production domestically. As long as the U.S. relies on fossil fuels, it remains vulnerable to global oil and gas price fluctuations, which are influenced by figures like Putin. Achieving true energy independence requires reducing dependence on Russian energy sources, ultimately diminishing their power and financial influence.

We will inform our colleagues about Russia's actions in the Baltics, Ukraine, and Georgia. We plan to make 2017 a year of offense against Putin, who we believe hacked our elections and is undermining democracy worldwide. We advocate for new sanctions targeting Putin personally, his energy and banking sectors. We just visited Ukraine, where we witnessed the impact of Russian interference. We will push for tougher sanctions on Russia for attacking the US through hacking, treating it as an act of war. We urge stronger sanctions on Russia for their attack on the US.

Russia is summoning the US ambassador to hold the United States accountable for attacks on Crimea, threatening punishment. This follows reports of Putin threatening US territories, according to Russian news. Russia is requesting dialogue with the US to discuss nuclear war and de-escalation. Russia is considering changing its nuclear doctrine to allow preemptive attacks if threatened. Putin also says Russia will potentially deliver weapons to North Korea and other US enemies due to the US, Ukraine, and Russia situation. This news comes as US members of Congress are reportedly saying this is an overdrive.

The threat of disinformation and foreign interference is growing. To combat this, we are introducing the European Democracy Shield. This initiative will identify and counter information manipulation, work with national agencies, detect foreign interference, enhance AI deepfake detection, and promote resilience.

We strongly condemn Putin's invasion of Ukraine and stand united in defense of democracy. Canada is committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary, and we are providing multiyear assistance to ensure their long-term success. We will continue to impose costs on Russia and prevent those responsible from benefiting. Our support for Ukraine is unwavering, and we will always be their partner. Canadians will always be friends to Ukraine.

We will fight for our homeland and push against Russian aggression. Our fight is not with the Russian people, but with Putin. We promise to take your calls to Washington, inform the American people of your bravery, and make the case against Putin to the world. We believe you will win and will provide what you need to succeed. The world is watching because we cannot allow Putin to succeed here, as it would set a dangerous precedent for other countries.

Russia uses missiles and cyber attacks to interfere with elections and hide truths. They host events like the World Cup to distract from human rights abuses. Trump's support helps Russia weaken the world.

The speaker asserts that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with purpose, sophistication, and overwhelming technical efforts via an active measures campaign driven from the top of the Russian government. This is a high confidence judgment of the entire intelligence community. The speaker confirms that entities beyond the DNC and DCCC were targeted, including government, non-governmental, and near-governmental agencies like nonprofits. The speaker estimates that the Russians specifically targeted hundreds, possibly over a thousand, entities.

We gather today at a pivotal point in history, where the rules-based international order is under threat. Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has caused violence and forced many to flee. The breakdown of this order has led to hardships, such as hunger caused by Russia blocking grain exports. Canadians are also experiencing a rise in grocery bills. Putin governs with deception and violence, imprisoning his own people. There have been protests and arrests in response. Disinformation is spreading, twisting facts. However, there is a strong defense against Putin's actions, with support from allies. True strength lies in empowering others, not in brute force. Democracy must be defended and strengthened. We must push back against Russian propaganda and continue supporting Ukraine.

Twenty-seventeen will be the year we go on the offense. We're all heading back to Washington to push the case against Russia. Enough with the Russian aggression, it's time they paid a heavier price for their actions. We are fully committed to holding Russia accountable. I believe that you will be victorious. We are convinced of your success and pledge to provide you with everything necessary to secure the win. We stand in solidarity with you and will ensure you have the resources needed.

We must permanently shut down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to counter Putin's aggression. This pipeline poses a significant threat and is seen as a tool for energy blackmail. There is still time to halt its progress, but action is needed urgently. Stopping Nord Stream 2 is crucial for peace and security. Germany should cancel the project, and we must utilize all available tools to prevent its completion. If Russia invades Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 will not proceed. Recent damage to the pipeline has been attributed to sabotage, with misinformation being spread by Russia. It's essential to end Nord Stream 2 now and ensure it does not become operational.

Speaker 1 says Putin must be confronted with strength: "the velvet glove, but I think the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately." He urges welcoming Zelensky to the Oval Office and, "pick up the phone, and ask, majority leader, John Thune to to immediately pass, the secondary sanctions bill that is supported by virtually everyone in the United States Senate." He calls for "the combination of engagement, but also making it clear to Putin that we are prepared to take actions, that would literally break his economy" while redoubling our commitment to Ukraine and European allies. He notes Putin's history: "Putin has made it clear that he wants to reassert the old Soviet sphere of influence, what we used to call the evil empire Mhmm. In Eastern Europe." He concludes: "Putin's not going to stop until he stopped, until he understands that there's gonna be enormous cost to Russia, and there's an unflagging commitment to defending Ukraine's sovereignty by The United States and our allies."

Putin was unhappy with Speaker 1 for raising concerns about the unfairness of Russia's 2011 parliamentary elections. Putin is paranoid about mass movements near Russia that could lead to democracy, closer ties with the EU, or NATO membership. The speaker believes Russia is still interfering with U.S. democracy by influencing opinions and election systems. She believes she was an obstacle to Russia's plans to undermine U.S. democracy and impose authoritarian control, and that Russia wanted to remove her to achieve other goals. Russia is still stirring up trouble and influencing people on social media, including efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act to cause political disruption. Electing a president was only part of Russia's plan. Putin aims to undermine democracies using money, blackmail, and inducements to bend political and business leaders to his will. The speaker doesn't know if Trump is a witting or unwitting tool of Putin, but believes Putin is playing a long game to undermine democracies.

Russia has 6,000 nuclear warheads, 1,600 that are deployed. Russia is under attack by The US and UK. I say that because while Ukraine nominally presses the button or, makes the attack, it's US weaponry, US satellites, US intelligence, US tracking, US logistics. And so we have an active hot war going on right now. It's insane. So far, no American president, has had, either the bravery or the decency to tell the truth, which is that from the time of the end of the Soviet Union in December 1991 until now, The US has been on a campaign to weaken Russia, to divide Russia, to surround Russia, to put US military all around Russia, to break apart Russia if possible, to sanction Russia to its knees, whatever it is. That's been The US campaign. So if this war is gonna stop, The US has to stop its campaign against Russia. That's the story.

The speaker presents evidence of the Trump campaign and family's willingness to collude with Russia to influence American elections. They criticize Republicans in Congress for enabling this assault on democracy. The speaker calls for Speaker Ryan to allow a vote on an independent commission to investigate the Trump campaign's involvement and prevent future interference. The focus is not only on past events but also on preventing similar incidents in the future.

In 2017, we will fight against Russian aggression. Our fight is not with the Russian people but with Putin. We promise to take your calls to Washington and inform the American people of your bravery. We will make the case against Putin to the world. We believe you will win and we will provide everything you need to succeed. The world is watching because we cannot allow Putin to succeed here, as it would mean his overall success.

In the past 3 years, Russia, under Putin, has invaded Ukraine, annexed Crimea, intervened in Syria, and attacked American democracy through cyber and information campaigns. This legislation aims to impose mandatory sanctions on the Russian Defence and intelligence sectors, including the FSB and GRU. It also codifies existing sanctions and tightens them, targeting the Russian energy sector. The goal is to send a strong message to Putin and any other aggressor that attacks on American democracy will not be tolerated. This bipartisan bill emphasizes the need for a united American response to Russia's actions.

Suzanne provided an overview of the Beyond the Ballot project and the broader Defending Democratic Institutions framework, focusing on how disinformation and information operations threaten public confidence in our courts and justice system. She emphasized that while Russia is the most aggressive actor in this space, other countries and domestic voices are increasingly involved, with Russia amplifying domestic narratives. The core insight is that these information operations exploit preexisting divisions and genuine grievances, rather than creating entirely new ones, and their aim is to undermine trust in democratic institutions, including the judiciary. Key evidence and framing from her three-year inquiry is summarized as follows: - Russia’s information operations target democracy and its institutions, including the justice system, and other countries imitate Kremlin tactics. Domestic voices are also engaged, and Russia amplifies those efforts. - These operations exploit weaknesses in our own system. They lean into legitimate grievances and seek to undermine perceived integrity, impartiality, and independence of the courts; they portray the judiciary as biased or corrupt or as a tool of elites. - The attack is not limited to elections but is a year-round threat to democratic legitimacy, including the justice system, and is aimed at weakening public trust in outcomes and processes. - Historical context includes the 2016 election, where propaganda, hack-and-leak activity, and attempts to disrupt voter data integrity were observed. Suzanne describes how such activity can extend to the justice system through hacking, leaking of judicial materials, or social media campaigns that manipulate perceptions of court legitimacy. - A notable case example is Twin Falls, Idaho (2016), where social media misinformation about refugees led to public outcry before facts were clarified. Fake accounts created by the Internet Research Agency in Russia pushed narratives that the justice system was failing, targeting prosecutors, judges, and politicians. - Russia uses three channels: social media, state-sponsored media (RT, Sputnik), and official statements by Russian officials. Narratives commonly assert that the justice system is broken, tolerates crime by immigrants, is biased, serves corrupt interests, or is controlled by a political elite. - Narratives are designed to erode confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and to frame reforms as evidence of systemic collapse. Examples include RT’s coverage and other propaganda aimed at inflaming racial and political tensions. - The campaign also leverages issues around race and policing, featuring fake affinity groups that appear to support opposing sides to inflame tensions and further undermine trust in institutions. - The FBI has warned that the threat extends beyond elections to a broader assault on democracy, with a focus on information operations aimed at all democratic institutions. Concretely, the project’s ongoing work includes: researching adversary threats to democratic institutions; defending the justice system through public awareness; conducting workshops and training for state and federal courts on cybersecurity and disinformation; building a rapid response and education network with legal organizations; and civic education as a national security imperative. The objective is to rebuild public resilience against pernicious messaging, encourage informed citizen participation, and motivate the public to hold institutions accountable while accepting legitimate outcomes. In response to questions, Suzanne underscored that members of the bar have a vital role: they can educate communities, correct disinformation related to specific cases (which judges cannot easily address), and engage in close contact with courts to safeguard democratic legitimacy. She urged lawyers nationwide to be more engaged in educating the public about the justice system and the mechanisms to hold it accountable.

We will inform our colleagues about Russia's actions in the Baltics, Ukraine, and Georgia. We believe Putin hacked our elections and is undermining democracy worldwide. We advocate for new sanctions targeting Putin personally, as well as his energy and banking sectors. We must resist Putin's influence while supporting our allies. Our recent visit to Ukraine highlighted the consequences of Russian interference, which we also experienced in our own election. We will push for stronger sanctions against Russia, treating their hacking as an attack. We urge our colleagues to address their financial institutions and other aspects of their economy.

A year ago, Putin invaded Ukraine, aiming to weaken the U.S. and challenge Western dominance. Instead, the brave Ukrainians, with our help, have decimated nearly half of Russia's military. Supporting Ukraine is in our best interest and a worthy investment. We've provided effective weapons while maintaining strict oversight. This support sends a strong message to China and ensures our own military readiness with American-made equipment. The Ukrainian heroes have defended their homeland, serving the free world. Now, we must honor our commitment and provide them with the arms they need to win.