FOREIGN AFFAIRS/MCMASTER/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In his last public remarks as national security adviser, Lt. Gen. HR McMaster offered harsh words for Russia Tuesday [4-3-18] during a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC. ‘We have failed to impose sufficient costs’ on Russia, McMaster said at the event, which also included a Q&A with the Presidents of Estonia and Latvia, as well as the Foreign Minister of Lithuania. He added that the failure to impose adequate costs on Russia’s activities meant that ‘the Kremlin’s confidence is growing…’ However, McMaster also praised the Trump administration’s response to Russia, particularly the coordinated expulsion of diplomats in response to the incident in Salisbury UK. McMaster said the expelled diplomats helped ‘orchestrate’ Russian interference in the US and the expulsion of intelligence personnel and closure of the Seattle consulate would hinder Russia’s ability to spread propaganda, disinformation and interfere in US elections.”
–Ryan Browne, “McMaster: ‘We have failed to impose sufficient costs’ on Russia,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 4, 2018 6:22am