This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

A much-publicized hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee today may or may not provide much insight into Russian cyber warfare and influence operations. Either way, that focus could amount to a dangerous deflection if Chairman John McCain plays into the hands of those wanting us preoccupied with alleged Kremlin hacking of Democratic operatives’ emails – and ignoring the strategic significance of Vladimir Putin’s other, largely unchallenged and unmistakably malevolent activities.

As a new book entitled Putin’s Reset makes clear, the Russian dictator is increasingly relying upon foreign adventurism and playing to nationalistic fervor to prop up domestic support for his regime. Putin’s massive nuclear build-up, repeated threats to use such weapons and increasingly provocative projections of power constitute real and present dangers that Congress and the incoming Trump administration cannot safely ignore.

This is Frank Gaffney.