Senator John McCain just unleashed a mouthful against Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He warned that the former KGB spy is a bigger threat to global security than the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). McCain issued the warning in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. TV while on his way to attend a defense summit in Singapore.
His statement followed the face-to-face accusation made on Monday by new French President Emmanuel Macron that Putin and two state-owned news outlets are behind the fake news. The election propaganda, unleashed through leaks of Macron’s emails to his movement, is very similar to the Russian interference in the U.S.
presidential election that has some links to U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign staff.
Sanctions on Russia
For the alleged Russian meddling into the U.S. election, which had linked Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Trump, McCain sought that sanctions be imposed on Russia. But even on this point, Kushner appears to possibly have a hand.
Besides meeting in early December with Russia Ambassador to Washington Sergei Kisylak at the Trump Tower, Kushner also met with Sergey Gorkov, head of Vnesheconombank which was included In Washington’s previous sanctions on Russian companies for annexing Crimea.
The senator, chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, hopes that after the recess by Congress, the Senate will push for the sanctions and pass other legislation to penalize Russia for its behavior, particularly Moscow’s meddling.
McCain, in December, called the Russian president a thug and murdered after reports of Russia hacking the election surfaced.
Defamatory evidence against Trump
A New York Daily report said that Russians also have defamatory information against Trump, but they apparently opted not to use it. Had the Russians used the information, it could have potentially influenced the election.
The information, according to Russian intelligence, was related to the finances of the real estate billionaire and key members of his campaign. Kremlin thought the information was strong enough for Moscow to use as leverage against Trump. But CNN pointed out the Russian intelligence could just be Russia’s way of spreading fake news or it is exaggerated.
Like his response to Macron’s accusation, Putin had previously denied that Russia meddled in the U.S. election. The FBI is investigating the Russian interference, and one of the persons the agency is probing is Kushner whom his father-in-law insisted is doing good things for the U.S. and is a good person.
