McCain: Russia’s sent relations ‘back to 1955’

GOP Sen. John McCain said Russia’s recent actions towards the United States have “reset” relations with America back to the Cold War era.

“The Russians have reset, they’ve reset alright — back to about 1955,” the Arizona lawmaker said in an appearance on CNN’s “The Lead.”

{mosads}The comment was a reference to the Obama administration’s public “reset” of relations with its Cold War rival following several years of icy relations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Bush administration.

McCain also repeated the suggestions he and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) made earlier Thursday that the president push back against Russia in a variety of ways. Their joint press release called for allowing Georgia into NATO, completing a European missile defense shield and strengthening the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law meant to punish Russians linked to human rights violations.

McCain denied that he was deliberately seeking a confrontation with Russia.

“It’s not a confrontation, it is just a realistic approach to a country that is not acting in the interest of world peace,” said McCain.