McCain: Russia is a bigger threat than ISIS

John McCain.
(Image credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

When it comes to global security, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin poses a larger threat than the Islamic State.

"I think [Putin] is the premier and most important threat, more so than ISIS," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, before he headed to Singapore for a defense summit. Russia continues to meddle in elections, most recently in France, McCain said, and because of that he views Russia as "the far greatest challenge that we have. So, we need to have increased sanctions and hopefully when we come back from our recess, the Senate will move forward with sanctions on Russia and enact other penalties for Russian behavior."

He also briefly touched on President Trump's national security team, and the strategy they are putting together for Afghanistan. "I do believe that most of the time he accepts their advice and counsel," McCain said. "Can I tell you that he does all the time? No. And does it bother me? Yes, it bothers me."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.