The State Department disagrees with Obama's Joint Chiefs nominee Gen. Joseph Dunford's assessment that Russia poses the greatest threat to United States national security.

Dunford, currently commandant of the Marine Corps, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Thursday that "Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security."

On Friday State Department spokesman John Kirby weighed in on the comments in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN, saying Secretary of State John Kerry respectfully disagrees with that notion.

"He has great regard and respect for General Dunford … But Secretary Kerry's view is that Russia is not the greatest national threat to the United States," Kirby said.

"Russia poses a security challenge on the European continent to be sure, but we also cooperated with them on many things," Kirby added, including the nuclear talks with Iran.

According to Kirby, Kerry views the "growth of violent extremism around the world" as the biggest threat to U.S. national security.