WASHINGTON: The United States bluntly accused Russia on Friday of hacking American political sites and email accounts in an effort to interfere with the upcoming presidential election. The U.S. also directly accused Russia of war crimes in Syria.
Moscow dismissed the accusations, which significantly worsen U.S.-Russia relations that already had deteriorated to the lowest point in years. Russian officials called the hacking allegations “some kind of nonsense” and said the war crimes talk was an effort to divert attention from America’s own failure to uphold a cease-fire in the bloody war.
The White House declined to say whether the hacking accusation would trigger sanctions against Russia. A senior Obama administration official, who wasn’t authorized to comment by name, said the U.S. would respond “at a time and place of our choosing.” The official said the public wouldn’t necessarily know what actions the U.S. has already taken or will take against Russia involving cyberspace.
