President Donald Trump's U.S. ambassador to Russia on Tuesday told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee the United States' relationship with Russia would be "done" if the Kremlin's meddling in the 2018 midterm elections does not stop, but he does not believe "Russia is going to quit," The Daily Beast reports.
"[Russian president Vladimir] Putin probably has never been stronger," Jon Huntsman told 21 lawmakers who attended the closed-door briefing, according to the source who spoke with The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity.
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump win, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Sunday said Russia and others are currently trying to undermine U.S. elections.
"Yes, I continue to be concerned, not only about the Russians, but about others' efforts as well," Pompeo said Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation."
"We have many foes who want to undermine Western democracy."
Huntsman delivered the same message Tuesday to the nine Democrats and 12 Republicans during the one-hour briefing, and said Russia had intentions to throw democracies around the world into chaos.
Moscow has denied meddling.
Trump has frequently spoken of improving relations with Putin, but the U.S. has maintained many Obama-era policies to deter Russian aggression, and has also sanctioned five Russians under the Magnitsky Act for alleged human rights abuses.
Huntsman also told the group the Trump administration will meet the Jan. 29 deadline for implementing sanctions against Russia's defense and intelligence sectors that Congress passed in July.
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