Secretary of State Rex Tillerson – like CIA Director Mike Pompeo – admits Russia is likely to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections but claims, incorrectly, there is little the United States can do to stop it.
"I don't know that I would say we are better prepared, because the Russians will adapt, as well. The point is, if it's their intention to interfere, they are going to find ways to do that. We can take steps, but this is something that, once they decide they are going to do it, it's very difficult to pre-empt it."
Tillerson said it was "important that we continue to say to Russia: 'Look, if you think we don't see what you're doing, we do see it, and you need to stop. If you don't, you're just going to continue to invite consequences for yourself.'"
He didn't detail what those consequences could be in the brief clips Fox News aired Tuesday night.
The State Department rejected implementation of new sanctions against Russia due at the end of January, and the Treasury Department watered down a list of Putin-aligned oligarchs intended to punish those closely tied to the Kremlin for Russia's 2016 election interference.
Bloomberg reports the long-awaited oligarchs list heightened concern amongst some U.S. financial institutions and Russian businessmen over potential and upcoming deals, but in the absence of attached sanctions, the list has no real teeth.
... [S]everal Russians named on the list said they didn’t expect it to affect their businesses or personal dealings. Andrey Kostin, head of state bank VTB, told state television Monday that being on the list hadn’t changed anything for him and that he has no offshore accounts. The U.S. unit of a company owned by one of the billionaires included, Dmitry Pumpyansky, kicked off a $500 million initial public offering hours before the roster was released.
Putin called the list and accompanying reports an “unfriendly act” but said he will refrain from retaliation for now.
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“If you are intending on sanctioning people on the list, you just gave them a heads up that they could be next,” said Erich Ferrari, who founded Ferrari & Associates in Washington.
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Those expecting to be named or sanctioned “probably started divesting questionable assets in August” when the law went into effect, Ferrari said.
Tillerson warns U.S. is not ‘better prepared’ for new Russian election meddling (NBC News)
Russian Oligarchs on U.S. Treasury List Facing Added Scrutiny (Bloomberg Politics)