“Russia’s recent hacking attacks on the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the party’s fund-raising committee for candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives reflect Moscow’s view that it is in a state of political war with the United States, if not the West. …Moscow has previously sought to take down the Viktor Yushchenko government in Ukraine, the governments in Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania and Kyrgyzstan, and used cyberattacks to penetrate the Bundestag, the Pentagon and other foreign political institutions. Nevertheless, the brazen quality of this most recent episode reflects Russia’s heightened aggressiveness…

“Moreover, the recent hacks suggest an organized plan to strike back at the United States, which [Vladimir] Putin believes is doing similar things to him, disrupt the integrity of the U.S. elections, portray Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the worst possible light, and obtain intelligence that could be used to blackmail or compromise American politicians. This much is clear.

“It is equally clear that [Donald] Trump is totally reckless and irresponsible: he invited Moscow to further hack Clinton’s email account after threatening to break up NATO and recognize Crimea as Russian. …there is no doubt that Russian oligarchs under Moscow’s thumb are deeply invested in his properties that are reportedly highly leveraged. Although there is no proof that he is an agent of Moscow, he is either a ‘useful idiot’ or the target of a classic Russian exercise in reflexive control.

“The Obama administration and Congress must investigate to prevent recurrences of such hacking attacks on both parties and other key institutions like those that oversee elections. The United States also needs to retaliate in ways that need not be public but that make the right impression upon Putin and his subordinates. Finally, we need to understand that from Putin’s standpoint he is at war with America and act accordingly. Failure to grasp this fact stems from either an unwillingness to face the facts or willful ignorance. Ignorance is never a virtue, while shilling for Putin is still a vice.”

– Stephen Blank, writing on August 3, on the Atlantic Council blog “New Atlanticist,” in an article headlined “Trump’s Dangerous Bromance wit Putin Is a National Security Risk.” (see http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/trump-s-dangerous-bromance-with-putin-is-a-national-security-threat)