US House Speaker Ryan Has Town Hall Meltdown, Calls Russia a 'Global Menace'

US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan marked his vehement disagreement with President-elect Donald Trump regarding Russia at a town hall-style interview with CNN Thursday night, claiming that "the Russians are up to no good" and calling Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin a "global menace."

Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Ryan said that Russia was a "global menace led by a man who is menacing."

The politician also reiterated statements made earlier by other Republicans who claimed that Moscow had "tried to affect our elections by meddling in our elections." 

At the same time, Ryan insisted that Russian hacking (which is still an unsubstantiated claim) had 'no impact' on the election. Furthermore, he said that the recent CNN and BuzzFeed reports that Moscow had gathered compromising information on Trump was "junk" that's "not even worthy of media."

The politician also agreed with neocon senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who recently insisted that Trump introduce more sanctions against Russia and proposed plans of their own. Ryan complained about the failure of the Obama administration to 'stand up' to Russia, accusing the White House of following "too much of an appeasement policy."

"The Russians are up to no good, we all know that," the Speaker stressed. 

Ryan: "Russia is a global menace" / "I do feel they tried to meddle in our elections" / "we do need sanctions" #RyanTownHall Trump be like pic.twitter.com/smqO4zPDsh

— Yolitzma Aguirre (@Yolitzma_) 13 января 2017 г.

With regard to his policy disagreements with the President-elect, Ryan admitted that "we don't all agree on everything. I think people kind of know that." As for where US foreign and domestic policy will go from here, the politician said that "we're in uncharted territory."

Russian America-watchers are divided over the prospect of continued divisions between the Republican-controlled Congress and the President-elect in US policy on Russia.

Commenting on the new sanctions proposed by Democrats and neocon Republicans in the twilight of the Obama administration, Radio Sputnik contributor Oleg Obukhov said that that they are unlikely to be pushed through before Obama leaves office. Moreover, the commentator noted that once Trump steps into the presidency, "it can be assumed that, with a few exceptions (such as McCain, for example), [the Republican Congress] will listen to the opinion of the new head honcho in the White House."

Obukhov thinks that it's "almost certain" that discussions on Russia are already underway between the Trump team and other Republicans.

As for the prospect of the President-elect himself agreeing to introduce new sanctions in an effort to reach an accord with the Congress, Obukhov argued that this is "somehow too complicated to be true," especially because the allegations of Russian interference in the US election have harmed Trump just as much as they have Russia.

Furthermore, the analyst noted that the proposed McCain-Graham sanctions against energy cooperation with Russia would hit at US energy companies – which have traditionally been sponsors of the Republican Party. "These companies wouldn't mind taking part in Russian energy products." Former Exxon Mobil CEO and Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, "as far as we are aware, is a practical man," Obukhov said. "He doesn't strike one as the kind of person who would like to cut the future earnings of US companies for the sake of the fantasies of some senators."

Political scientist Viktoria Zhuravleva is more skeptical. Speaking to Radio Sputnik earlier this week, she noted that there is agreement between Democrats and Republicans that Russia poses a 'threat', and that the two parties fear Trump will change Washington's policy toward Moscow.

"Therefore," she said, "it is necessary to create conditions which would make it impossible for Trump to really change anything. Hence the mad activity [including talk of new sanctions] in recent weeks. It certainly doesn't help Trump, but rather is an attempt to tie his hands once and for all."