H.R. McMaster praised the Trump administration‘s recent response for “the removal of dozens of Russian intelligence officers and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.” | Kevin Ditsch/Pool/Getty Images Soon-to-exit McMaster blasts Russia

Outgoing national security adviser H.R. McMaster on Tuesday said the U.S. and other nations “have failed to impose sufficient costs” on Russia — but also argued that they will “triumph over new threats” from the Kremlin.

“For too long, some nations have looked the other way in the face of these threats. Russia brazenly, and implausibly denies its actions, and we have failed to impose sufficient costs,” McMaster said during a speech at the Atlantic Council’s 100 Years of U.S.-Baltic Partnership event in Washington.


The three-star Army general added that Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he is “winning” through his county’s “hybrid warfare,” which “combines political, economic, informational and cyber assaults against sovereign nations.” But, he argued, the U.S. and its allies will prevail.

“We will triumph over new threats, including those posed by Russia’s increased aggression around the world,” he said.

John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will replace McMaster as national security adviser on April 9. McMaster will also retire from the military.

“Mr. Putin may believe that he is winning in this new form of warfare. He may believe that his aggressive actions in Salisbury, in cyberspace, in the air and on the high seas can undermine our confidence, our institutions and our values,” McMaster continued. “Perhaps he believes that our free nations are weak and will not respond to his provocations. He is wrong.”

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The reference to Salisbury was to the attempted poisoning on March 4 of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England. Responsibility for the attack has been attributed almost universally to Putin’s government.

McMaster was the target of a public rebuke by President Donald Trump earlier this year after McMaster stated that evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections was “incontrovertible.” McMaster had also been outspoken on wanting the Trump administration to be tougher on Russia, specifically, for its actions in Syria.

During his remarks on Tuesday, however, McMaster praised the Trump administration’s recent response for “the removal of dozens of Russian intelligence officers and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.”

“This action will also help protect our democratic institutions and processes as these Russian officers orchestrate Russia’s sustained campaign or propaganda, disinformation and political subversion,” McMaster said.