Free Republic

AP) — A Russian operative under the supervision of one of the Kremlin’s main intelligence services has been charged with recruiting political groups in the United States to advance pro-Russia propaganda, including during the invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department said Friday. The indictment of Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov reflects what U.S. officials say are ongoing Russian government efforts to meddle in the American political process, to shape public opinion and to sow discord and dissent on hot-button social issues. In this case, the authorities say, Ionov from 2014 through last March recruited political groups in Florida, Georgia and California and...

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on members of the alliance to either increase their defense spending targets or start taking "Russian language courses." NATO's current target for members' defense spending is 2 percent of their country's GDP. Trump said in 2018 during his first administration that the defense spending goal for NATO should be doubled to 4 percent. While on the campaign trail in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Trump also accused NATO of relying too much on U.S. contributions. During a December appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, he even suggested the U.S. could look at leaving...