On eve of Trump briefing, John Brennan says potential interference in Europe 'very serious concern' Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan said his agency and the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama want to publicize Russian interference in the recent U.S. elections as a warning to other countries, particularly in Europe. The potential of Russian interference across Europe and especially in upcoming elections in Germany, a U.S. ally and partner in implementing sanctions against Russia, "is a very serious concern," said Mr. Brennan at an event hosted by the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics. "It is very important for the United States to understand exactly what happened here, so we can not only safeguard our system but we can also make sure that we inform others." "By exposing this publicly, [it] makes Mr. Putin in the future more reluctant to go down this path, because their activities are being uncovered," he added. The Russian government, he said,