Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines made the comment to Congress on Tuesday following the release of the annual threat assessment report at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become a leading point of national security distress for the United States and the rest of the world.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s report, released to the public late Monday, warned that “China increasingly is a near-peer competitor, challenging the United States in multiple arenas — especially economically, militarily, and technologically — and is pushing to change global norms and potentially threatening its neighbors.”