Thread by @biannagolodryga

While today's IC report on Russia's effort to influence the 2020 election in Trump's favor is not surprising, a few things worth noting:
- Putin continues to rely on US social media companies to undermine US confidence in elections and "increase sociopolitical divisions"...(1/5)

At the same time, the Kremlin is threatening to censor or even ban the same social media companies from inside Russia out of fear of @navalny and other Kremlin opponents gaining support from younger Russians disenfranchised with Putin (ahead of Sept. Duma elections). (2/5)

- The report calculates that Moscow will continue its election interference campaign because "the Kremlin has long deemed that a weakened US would be less likely to pursue assertive foreign and security policies abroad and more open to geopolitical bargains with Russia"...(3/5)

This was exactly how Trump approached not only foreign policy, but foreign policy as it related to Russia. Transactional. Which is why US allies, NATO in particular, were very worried about Trump's commitment to the alliance. (4/5)

That the Kremlin continues to pursue that strategy, POST TRUMP, and is willing to accept the risks that come from it, should be a clear indication to a Biden admin that new approach towards Russia's transgressions is necessary. What that will look like is the big question. (5/5)