Russian cyber interference in American elections is 'warfare': Nikki Haley

Washington [United States] October 20 (ANI): United States Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley on Thursday said that Russian cyber interference in American elections is 'warfare'.

Haley discussed about Russian online interference in the 2016 election in the form of the use of fake social media accounts and the spread of misinformation, while speaking alongside former secretaries of state Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice at a panel hosted by the George W. Bush Institute in New York City.

"When a country can come interfere in another country's elections that is warfare," CNN quoted her as saying.

Earlier this summer, Haley said Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of such interference were merely an effort to 'save face'.

"Everybody knows that Russia meddled in our elections," she said in July.

"Everybody knows that they're not just meddling in the United States' election. They're doing this across multiple continents, and they're doing this in a way that they're trying to cause chaos within the countries."

During Thursday's panel, Haley said the U.S. needs to hold Russia accountable.

"The Russians, God bless them. They're asking why are Americans anti-Russian? And why have we done sanctions? Well don't interfere in our elections and we won't be anti-Russian," she added. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI