Three US senators, including Republican John McCain, pledged to push for stronger sanctions against Russia in Congress, during a visit to Georgia on January 1.

McCain, along with fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar, told reporters on their arrival in Tbilisi that Russian financial institutions and other industry should be targeted by sanctions.

McCain said, “We will be working for much tougher sanctions against Russia. They attacked the United States of America. The hacking was an attack and we should treat is as such.”

US President-elect Donald Trump, who has downplayed alleged Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee emails, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday for holding off on retaliating on US sanctions announced by President Barack Obama the previous day. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful