Late Thursday night, news broke that President Obama was vowing for the United States to take action against Russia for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election. As reported by CNN:
“I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections that we need to take action and we will at a time and place of our own choosing,” Obama told National Public Radio.
Describing potential countermeasures by the US, the President said “some of it may be explicit and publicized; some of it may not be.”
He said he directly confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin about a potential US response, and said his counterpart acknowledged his stance.
“Mr. Putin is well aware of my feelings about this, because I spoke to him directly about it,” Obama said.
This statement by Obama is a very a troubling one and sets the stage for increased tensions between the United States and Russia in coming months. Media in coming days will certainly follow the reactions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President-elect Donald Trump, and other important world figures, as these could set the stage for global politics in the coming years.
Obama vows action against Russia for hacks https://t.co/1YxROKSMgv https://t.co/VCNXOvbATk
— CNN (@CNN) December 16, 2016