Outgoing national security adviser H.R. McMaster said the U.S. has “failed to impose sufficient costs” on Russia, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin was mistaken to believe his county’s actions would avoid consequences.
In a speech Tuesday evening that contained no criticism of his boss, President Trump, McMaster listed out Russia’s tactics, including subversive infiltrating social media, spreading propaganda, and weaponizing information
“For too long, some nations have looked the other way in the face of these threats,” McMaster said during a dinner hosted by the Atlantic Council.
“Russia brazenly and implausibly denies its actions and we have failed to impose sufficient costs,” he added.
McMaster said Putin was wrong if he assumed free nations such as the U.S. would not take actions in response to Russia’s behavior.
“Mr. Putin may believe that he is winning in this new form of warfare,” McMaster said. “He may believe that his aggressive actions … can undermine our confidence, our institutions, and our values.”
“Perhaps he believes that our free nations are weak and will not respond to his provocations,” he added. “He is wrong.”
McMaster was joined by the leaders from three Baltic nations, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, three former Soviet Union satellite states who view Russia as an adversary.
Earlier in the day, Trump told the Baltic leaders at a press conference that “nobody has been tougher on Russia” than he has, although he repeated his desire to have a positive relationship with Russia. Critics blame the president for personally being to soft on Russia.
However, tensions between the U.S. and Russia have escalated in recent weeks, following the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the United Kingdom last month. The U.S. and all three Baltic nations were among a bevy of Western nations to expel more than 150 Russian diplomats in total — a move McMaster praised.
McMaster’s speech Tuesday was billed as his last as national security adviser. Trump announced last month that McMaster would be replaced by former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton next week.
After Trump’s announcement. McMaster said he would request to retire from the U.S. military, effective this summer. He said he planned to leave public service following his retirement.
