CIA chief says Trump lacks understanding

WASHINGTON // Departing CIA director John Brennan accused Donald Trump of lacking a full understanding of the threat Moscow poses to the United States. Mr Brennan ripped into the president-elect for “talking and tweeting” about possibly easing sanctions against Russia.

“I think he has to be mindful that he does not have a full appreciation and understanding of what the implications are of going down that road,” Mr Brennan said on Fox News Sunday.

“Now that he’s going to have an opportunity to do something for our national security as opposed to talking and tweeting, he’s go- ing to have tremendous responsibility to make sure that US and national security interests are protected,” Mr Brennan said.

The extraordinary televised lecture to the incoming president highlighted the bitter state of Mr Trump’s relationship with the US intelligence community just days before he is inaugurated as the nation’s 45th president. He has repeatedly shrugged off intelligence that has convinced Republicans and Democrats that Russia tried to help him win the election.

He has publicly called for a better relationship between the US and Vladimir Putin’s government, and suggested on Friday that he would consider easing sanctions imposed by president Barack Obama as payback for the claimed election hacking.

Mr Trump also suggested that the intelligence community is out to get him – including by the leak of a document containing potentially damaging, but unverified, financial and personal information on Mr Trump.

But a range of revelations shed more light on the Trump-Putin relationship.

Retired Gen Michael Flynn, who is set to become Mr Trump’s national security adviser, and Russia’s ambassador to the US have been in frequent contact in recent weeks, including on the day the Obama administration hit Moscow with sanctions in retaliation for the claimed hacking, a senior US official said.

Trump criticised for ‘talking and tweeting’ about possibly easing sanctions against Russia