American intelligence and counterintelligence officials have made it known that Russia is engaging in an aggressive campaign to disrupt the election.

As the election comes closer, the Russian factor will be a major feature in news coverage, which will report about threats from the Kremlin.

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Here is what we know from public sources. U.S. officials are convinced that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE presidential campaign through Wikileaks.

Note that there has been no indication that Russia has hacked the Republican National Committee, the House Republican Campaign Committee or the Donald Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE presidential campaign.

One need not be Sherlock Holmes or Agent 007 to believe that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin — the only person in Russia with the power to order such a far-reaching espionage operation against the American elections — favors Trump for president.

We also know that there have been attempts to penetrate our election machinery, and the prime suspect and probable perpetrator is Russia.

Why might Putin favor Trump for president?

While Putin has been making aggressive moves to intimidate democratic Europe, Trump has said that he would not be committed to defending Europe against a possible Russian invasion.

Clinton, like every Democratic and Republican president and presidential nominee since World War II, stands with NATO and stands with the democratic nations of Europe.

While Russia's Putin and Syria's Bashar Assad have been killing major numbers of civilians in Syria through massive bombing, Trump has been sounding as though he would permit Putin and Assad to take any action.

While Putin has been dismantling any semblance of a free press in Russia, Trump has been attacking the very underpinnings of a free press in America and issuing dangerous sounding warnings to our journalists.

While Putin has been quietly supporting separatist movements in Europe, Trump has been championing Brexit, which took Britain out of the European Union, and campaigning like various extremist far-right parties in Europe.

While Putin has been praising Trump, Trump has been praising Putin in return, which is consistent with Trump's praise of various other dictators, something no Democratic or Republican president or nominee has ever done.

Trump has made a series of statements that are unprecedented for any nominee who seeks to be commander in chief.

He said, absurdly, that he knows more about fighting terrorism than generals.

He implied, recklessly, that many current military leaders should be fired.

Trump said, shamelessly, that he would order commanders and troops to commit acts of torture, which would be illegal, which leading commanders have said constitute orders they would be morally and legally bound to refuse to obey.

Trump suggested, with typical sexism, that many in the military would not want to follow orders from a woman commander in chief, such as Clinton.

Women voters should think about that, very carefully.

Let me emphasize that many Republican and conservative national security and foreign policy leaders agree with most or all of what I write here, along with Democratic and liberal national security foreign policy leaders.

What does that mean?

It means that if Trump is elected, there will be celebrations in the Kremlin.

It means that if Trump is elected, Russia will be tempted to launch aggressive initiatives against democratic Europe, believing that Trump would not respond.

And it means that if Clinton is elected, America and the world will be safer places.

Trump is a man who is easily influenced by flattery, and Putin has offered Trump great flattery, which Trump has reciprocated.

But what happens when Putin someday insults Trump, which he surely will someday? Will Trump react the same way to insults from Putin that he has reacted to insults from anyone else?

The implications are ominous.

Wars are prevented by deterrence, when potential aggressors believe they cannot get away with aggression. Wars are begun when potential aggressors believe they can get away with it — which is what Putin might well believe would happen if Trump is elected.

This is why so many Republican and conservative national security leaders agree with Democratic and liberal national security leaders in being horrified by the thought that Trump could become commander in chief.

Voters should vote as though their lives and security depend on it.

Because they do.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Chief Deputy Majority Whip Bill Alexander (D-Ark.). He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.