U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., says he doesn't trust Russian President Vladimir Putin as much as President-elect Donald Trump.
Oklahoma's junior Republican Senator told CNN's Erin Burnett on the program OutFront Monday night Putin and Russia have tried to undercut democracies throughout Europe and Asia.
"That is not someone that we should have as a long-term ally,” Lankford said. “Now, there will be areas that we will cooperate together, whether it be in trade and other areas, like we do in multiple other countries, but that is not someone that acts in a human rights way that we should continue to partner up with.”
Lankford serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and said he feels President Obama's sanctions against Russia over allegations they interfered with the U.S. election came too late.
He also said one of the main concerns of both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees is the lack of a clear cyber response strategy.
"If someone reaches in and attacks our infrastructure, attacks any part of our government, that we have a way that we know we're going to respond,” Lankford said. “It's kind of an ad hoc go-along and try to figure it out as we go.”
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