For 21 years, Vladimir Putin has reigned supreme over Russian politics. A skillful manipulator of public opinion, he wields the blunt force of repression against opponents at home and the sharp power of cyber-operations and espionage campaigns against enemies abroad. Increasingly, Western analysts and officials portray him as all-powerful, a ruthless former KGB man who imposes his will on Russia from behind dark sunglasses. This narrative, which the Kremlin goes out of its way to reinforce, is tempting to believe. Putin has jailed the closest thing he has to a political rival—the opposition...…For 21 years, Vladimir Putin has reigned supreme over Russian politics. A skillful manipulator of public opinion, he wields the blunt force of repression against opponents at home and the sharp power of cyber-operations and espionage campaigns against enemies abroad. Increasingly, Western analysts and officials portray him as all-powerful, a ruthless former KGB man who imposes his will on Russia from behind dark sunglasses. This narrative, which the Kremlin goes out of its way to reinforce, is tempting to believe. Putin has jailed the closest thing he has to a political rival—the opposition...WW…

Kremlin-backed trolls are disinformation and have their game for the 2020 campaign. U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr has been vague about the probity of foreign assistance, and the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently that it would no longer provide in-person briefings to Congress on foreign electoral interference. To boot, Facebook recently pages linked to Russian intelligence in hopes of heading off a disinformation campaign closer to election day. Four weeks before one of the most important presidential elections in its history, the United States vulnerable to...…Kremlin-backed trolls are disinformation and have their game for the 2020 campaign. U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr has been vague about the probity of foreign assistance, and the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently that it would no longer provide in-person briefings to Congress on foreign electoral interference. To boot, Facebook recently pages linked to Russian intelligence in hopes of heading off a disinformation campaign closer to election day. Four weeks before one of the most important presidential elections in its history, the United States vulnerable to...WW…