Editorial Board
Sanctioning Russia Is Just a Start
The U.S. struck a good balance for now, but more work is needed to prevent future cyber-attacks.
Don’t hack me, bro.
Photographer: Guneev Sergey/Host Photo AgencyPresident Barack Obama’s imposition of sweeping new sanctions against Russian spies is long overdue, risky and tarnished by political calculation. It is also the right thing to do.
The White House said on Thursday it planned to toss 35 suspected spies and their families out of the country; sanction two intelligence agencies, four intelligence officers, three companies and two alleged hackers; shut two compounds used by Russian diplomats; and take “a variety of other actions,” some of which will be covert. The penalties were in response to long catalog of Russian provocations, most recently -- and explosively -- its interference in the U.S. presidential election. They were accompanied by a detailed report.