MESOP NEWS SPECIAL – The Kremlin Is Having a Very Good Christmas. Here’s Why…
By Steve Hall is a former Chief of Station and member of the Senior Intelligence Service at the CIA.
26 Dec 2017 – We asked CIA veteran and Russia expert Steve Hall to reflect on the actions of Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin over this past year, and what he expects to see in 2018.
On Russia in Syria: “I think it’s paid off very well for [Russian President] Vladimir Putin. Prior to the Trump administration, he managed to create a situation where it was virtually impossible for the conflict to improve for the Syrians without consulting Russia. And this is, of course, what Putin loves to do: put himself in a position so that to solve any problem, you have to go through him to do it. It’s a new foothold for Putin and for Russia in the Middle East.”
On Russian info-warfare and election interference in the West: “As Putin looks back on this year, he’ll see it as a good year for him. The thing that he fears most—the spread of democracy and specifically Western liberal democracy—has become confused and splintered because of his actions. That’s serious return-on-investment for him.”
Read more highlights of the interview with Steve Hall, and check out today’s Daily Podcast for the full conversation.
Steve Hall is a former Chief of Station and member of the Senior Intelligence Service at the CIA.