In a statement on his website Thursday, Sen. Marco Rubio praised President Barack Obama's sanctions against Russia.
"After years of weakness that have invited and encouraged Russian aggression, today's actions by President Obama are long overdue," Rubio said.
"I welcome the measures taken today to check Russian aggression and look forward to working with congressional leaders from both parties in the months ahead to strengthen these penalties, thoroughly investigate Russian efforts to undermine the U.S., and ensure that Putin and his cronies are held accountable for their actions."
The statement puts Rubio at odds with Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who has spoken positively about Russia. Also on Thursday, Trump said, "It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," but said he would meet with U.S. intelligence officials regarding Russian hacking.
On Dec. 8, Rubio and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey introduced the Preventing Destabilization of Iraq and Syria Act, a bill that would sanction officials in Russia and Iran who undermine efforts for peace in Iraq and Syria.
Rubio has disagreed with Trump on foreign policy before. During his Senate reelection campaign in May, Rubio disagreed with Trump's suggestion that the U.S. should not automatically come to the aid of fellow NATO members if they were under attack.
"If we are not engaged in the world, the price we pay will be much higher in the long run than the price we pay to be engaged," he said.
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