WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The administration of outgoing US President Barack Obama can introduce retaliation actions against Russia as soon as Thursday for Moscow’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election, US media reported on Wednesday.
The steps will likely include new sanctions and diplomatic measures, CNN reported citing US officials familiar with the Obama administration’s plans.
The US authorities can also name individuals linked with an alleged "Russian disinformation campaign," which used hacked information to attack the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the media reports claimed.
In addition, the US government may take some unannounced actions to address the alleged Russian hacking.
US officials have accused Russia of being behind cyberattacks against Democratic Party computer systems in an attempt to influence the US election in favor of Donald Trump.
Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations calling them absurd and characterizing them as an attempt to divert public opinion from revelations of corruption as well as pressing domestic issues.