Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainThe Memo: Trump's strengths complicate election picture Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' Cindy McCain: Trump allegedly calling war dead 'losers' was 'pretty much' last straw before Biden endorsement MORE (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, told a Ukrainian news outlet that there should be a “price to pay” for Russian interference in the U.S. election.

“When you attack a country, it’s an act of war,” McCain said in an interview with a Ukrainian TV channel while visiting Kiev, according to Reuters.

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"And so we have to make sure that there is a price to pay, so that we can perhaps persuade the Russians to stop these kind of attacks on our very fundamentals of democracy."





McCain, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (R-S.C.), has been one of the toughest GOP voices on Russia. He has pushed for President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE to be tough on Russia after he takes office, while Trump has struck a friendlier tone toward Moscow.

McCain scheduled hearings on cyberthreats to the U.S. for Thursday.

U.S. intelligence agencies have pointed the blame at Russia for a campaign to interfere with the presidential election, including hacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonDemocratic groups using Bloomberg money to launch M in Spanish language ads in Florida The Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day More than 50 Latino faith leaders endorse Biden MORE campaign chairman John Podesta.