House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday called Vladimir Putin “a menace,” and said he would not have made the friendly call to the Russian leader that President Trump made this week.

“Putin does not respect democracies,” Ryan, R-Wis., said when asked about Trump’s call congratulating Putin on his re-election, which most agree was rife with irregularities and likely voter fraud. “He’s trying to do everything he can to undermine democracies. Not just ours, but all of our allies.”