Joe Biden's transition team is not receiving information, including on US military operations, due to obstacles created by the Pentagon.

This was stated by Jake Sullivan, whom Biden intends to appoint as his national security adviser.

According to Sullivan, if the future presidential administration does not familiarize itself with the current situation in this area, this may complicate its work after Biden comes to power.

“It is again about our lack of understanding on a number of critical issues related to military operations, which is due to obstruction and obstruction by the Department of Defense, - said Sullivan in an interview with NPR.

"This means that from January 20, we will have to spend the first time of the administration's work on a thorough analysis of our positions, the threats we face, as well as the ongoing reductions (of the military presence.

- RT

) in terms of military risks and other considerations."

Earlier, on December 28, the acting head of the Pentagon Christopher Miller said that the US Department of Defense is sufficiently facilitating the transfer of power to Biden.

"He's wrong," Sullivan objected, adding that "there are literally dozens of written requests for information pending at this time."

Sullivan also said that the Pentagon has not granted permission to hold meetings on the transfer of power since December 18.

Biden's alleged national security adviser clarified that the future administration must become familiar with a number of pressing issues, including a large-scale cyberattack on U.S. agencies attributed to Russia.

Earlier, on December 28, Biden himself said during a speech in Wilmington (Delaware) that the political leadership of the Pentagon is creating obstacles to the transfer of authority to his team.

“Right now, the outgoing administration simply does not provide us with the necessary information on key areas of national security.

This is nothing more than irresponsibility, ”the democrat noted.

According to Biden, his team "needs a clear understanding of the strategic positions" of American forces in the world and "ongoing operations to contain opponents."

  • US military

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  • © Jonathan Drake

“We need to be fully aware of the budget planning that is being carried out by the Ministry of Defense and other departments, in order to avoid any confusion or the need to make up for lost time, which our opponents may try to take advantage of,” he said.

In this context, he also recalled cyberattacks on the infrastructure of American departments, stressing that they pose a serious threat to the national security of the United States.

Amid cyberattacks

Recall that last week, Biden called on the incumbent US President Donald Trump to "publicly declare" those responsible for "a large-scale series of cyberattacks on American companies and federal agencies", as well as "take effective steps" to bring them to justice.

Biden also drew attention to the assertions of representatives of the current administration that "the responsibility for the cyber hack lies with Russia."

According to the democrat, this allegedly "corresponds to the long-standing course of action" of the Russian side "in terms of reckless subversion in cyberspace."

“But I assure you: even if he (Trump. - 

RT)

 does not take this (the cyberattack. - 

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) seriously, I will do it,” Biden said during his speech in Wilmington.

As Reuters reported on December 20, citing sources, Biden's team is discussing the possibility of imposing sanctions against Moscow because of the cyberattack attributed to it.

It was also about a retaliatory strike against Russian computer systems, the agency reported.

Earlier, on December 16, the office of the US Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced a "significant cyber incident" that affected the computer networks of the United States federal government.

It was noted that the cybercriminals carried out a hack due to a vulnerability in the SolarWinds software.

Following the publication of this message, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Russia for the incident.

However, the very next day after the statement of the head of the State Department, Donald Trump said that "in the media publishing fake news, the cyberattack was inflated to a much larger scale than it actually is."

Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of cyberattacks against the United States.

According to the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, "any accusations of Russia's involvement are absolutely unfounded and are more likely a continuation of the blind Russophobia, which is used in any incident."

As HSE professor Dmitry Evstafiev noted in an interview with RT, Biden now wants to receive information about cyberattacks on the infrastructure of American departments attributed to Russia, so that after coming to power he can immediately strike back.

  • Democrat Joe Biden

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  • © Leah Millis

“Biden needs to enter the presidency with a sufficiently strong move by the standards of American society and political elites, after which a positive response would follow.

The only issue on which there is at least some kind of consensus among Democrats and Republicans is the continuation of pressure on Russia, including sanctions.

Biden needs grounds for introducing new anti-Russian restrictions or a “retaliatory” cyber strike on the Russian social infrastructure, ”the expert believes.

Valery Garbuzov, director of the Institute for the United States and Canada, also does not exclude that the desire to receive information about cyber attacks on the United States is due to the fact that Biden's team "wants to create more detailed plans to counter Moscow."

“Now the main goal is to obtain this data so that in the future it will be possible to build a policy of containing Russia at least on something.

It is already clear that the new administration, according to the American tradition, will blame Moscow for all its sins.

The main instrument of pressure here will, of course, be sanctions.

This is a universal tool for Washington, regardless of which political party is in power, "the analyst explained in a conversation with RT.

"Spoil the life of the future administration"

Recall that the Pentagon announced its intention to carry out the transfer of power to the Biden administration on November 24.

This was stated in a statement issued by the department.

On December 9, Joe Biden presented the candidate for the post of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

According to the democrat, the United States needs the experience of the future head of the Pentagon to develop relations with other states, restore alliances and strengthen common security.

Valery Garbuzov believes that the Pentagon can really create obstacles to Biden's transition team on the way to obtaining information as part of the transfer of power.

“And here one gets the impression that it is Trump's people in the US Department of Defense who are playing an active role in this.

Apparently, this is one of the last shots fired by the incumbent head of the White House, designed to complicate Biden's rise to power.

It was not by chance that Trump made personnel changes at the Pentagon earlier, changing the head of the department.

He did this in the hope that this step will help him in the fight against the Democrats, ”the expert said.

However, Garbuzov considers such a strategy "largely unpromising."

“Biden will bring his team anyway, and there will be new people and faces in the Ministry of Defense,” the analyst said.

According to Garbuzov, Trump's actions can be explained by "a deep resentment against the Democrats for what they, in the opinion of the 45th US President, falsified the American elections."

“These feelings are mixed with the annoyance of the incumbent head of the White House, because, as practice has shown, there are not so many Republicans who would have stood for Trump to the last.

Even those who used to work for Trump are now effectively turning their backs on him.

In their opinion, Trump is pulling the Republican Party back, not wanting to somehow improve relations with the Democrats, ”the expert said.

Garbuzov also predicted that from Trump to Biden's inauguration, "anything can be expected."

“Usually the outgoing president is present at the inauguration, no matter how badly he treats the future president.

For example, Obama attended Trump's inauguration.

However, information has already appeared that the current head of the White House intends to boycott this event, ”he said.

Dmitry Evstafiev adheres to a similar position.

According to him, it is likely that it was from Trump that the Pentagon was instructed not to provide information to Biden's team, including on the course of military operations.

“And this is the smallest thing that Biden's team coming in January should prepare for.

Trump still has several non-standard moves to ruin the life of the future administration.

In particular, Trump at the turn of 2020-2021 may decide on a military action against Iran, which, when transferring power, will put Biden in a very difficult position.

It will make the new US authorities hostage to earlier decisions, which they had no influence on, ”Yevstafiev noted.

  • The White house

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The expert also drew attention to the fact that in the US military establishment "there is the highest degree of mistrust in the Biden administration."

“Therefore, this part of the military did not have to be persuaded to block access to some of the information for Biden.

They themselves were ready for this, ”Yevstafiev said.

Garbuzov, in turn, predicted that the Pentagon under Biden "will behave differently."

“I do not think that a democrat will be engaged in reforming the very structure of the department, but he will begin a serious revision of Trump's legacy.

Just like the 45th US President, he tried to nullify many of Barack Obama's initiatives.

The only question is how deep this revision will be.

However, it is already clear that among Biden's first initiatives, in addition to anti-Russian actions, there will at least be a suspension of the withdrawal of the American contingent from abroad, ”the analyst concluded.