Russia prefers Donald Trump as the new President of the United States, revealed a US intelligence officer while briefing reporters on Tuesday (July 9).

US Elections 2024 are the contest that decides which leader Americans prefer, so why does Russia’s preference matter?

In the US elections, the public will decide whether Democrat presumptive candidate and current US President Joe Biden will once again take the helm of the Western power or whether his rival Republican presumptive candidate Trump will take over.

However, Russia can influence the decision in favour of one candidate or the other, thus impeding fair elections.

As per the Reuters news agency, historically, US intelligence assessments have indicated that Moscow attempted to influence the elections in favour of Trump in both 2016 against Hillary Clinton and 2020 against Joe Biden. 

Talking to the press, the official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) reiterated that these assessments remain unchanged.

Russia’s favour for Trump largely has to do with the US’s role in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

“We have not observed a shift in Russia’s preferences for the presidential race from past elections, given the role the US is playing with regard to Ukraine and broader policy toward Russia,” said the official.

Trump has in recent days criticised the extent of US military support for Ukraine — totalling around $60 billion since Russia’s invasion in 2022 — and referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “the greatest salesman ever.” 

Furthermore, Trump’s national security advisers have suggested ending US military aid to Ukraine unless it engages in peace talks with Russia. 

On NATO, the ex-president’s plans to “encourage” Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” against alliance members not meeting defence spending targets. This is in direct contradiction to NATO’s collective defence obligations.

Conducting the briefing with anonymity, officials from ODNI, FBI, and National Coordinator for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience officials, highlighted the difference between election influence (shaping poll outcomes or undermining democratic processes) and interference (disrupting the ability to hold a free and fair vote). 

Currently, the US has not found evidence of plans by any country to disrupt the upcoming November elections, they said.

However, the official revealed that Russia has begun efforts to influence specific voter groups in battleground states, promoting divisive narratives and denigrating particular politicians. These efforts, primarily conducted through social media and using US voices, aim to shape the presidential, congressional, and public opinion.

As per the report, unlike Russia, China is not actively planning to influence the presidential race, although it seeks to expand its capability to collect and monitor data from social media “probably to better understand and eventually manipulate public opinion,” said the official.

(With inputs from agencies)