John McCain cautions Trump against cozying up to Putin

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is sounding an alarm over the blossoming relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

"With the U.S. presidential transition underway, Vladimir Putin has said in recent days that he wants to improve relations with the United States," McCain said Tuesday in a statement. "We should place as much faith in such statements as any other made by a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America's allies, and attempted to undermine America's elections."

The Kremlin and Trump's office both said the pair have spoken on the phone, and aides are planning a face-to-face meeting. Throughout his campaign, Trump praised Putin, who supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and authorized Russia to launch a major military offensive in Syria on Tuesday, NBC News reports. "The Obama administration's last attempt at resetting relations with Russia culminated in Putin's invasion of Ukraine and military intervention in the Middle East," McCain said. "At the very least, the price of another 'reset' would be complicity in Putin and Assad's butchery of the Syrian people."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up