Tillerson not committing to positions on Russia, Washington Post reports

Rex Tillerson, the nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, hasn’t committed to any policies with the Russian government and has stressed he will negotiate from a position of strength, reported on Jan. 4 Josh Rogin, a Washington Post columnist. He cited anonymous senators and staffers who have been in closed door meetings this week with Tillerson, an ExxonMobil CEO who has extensive business dealings in Russia and a firm relationship with Russian President Putin.

“He said, ‘Look, I understand Putin and Russia is a playground bully and they only respect strength and you need to come from a position of strength to them or you are going to have a lot of problems’,” said one Senate staffer, who was not authorized to speak about the private meeting, paraphrasing Tillerson’s remarks. When pushed on sanctions, Tillerson “wouldn’t fully endorse any particular direction.”

A U.S. senator who met with Tillerson, who did not want to publicly comment on the private meeting, said he made clear he understands the overall threat Russia poses to the U.S. and its allies. Tillerson will testify before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 11 and 12.

Zenon Zawada: Although this report is based on anonymous sources, it’s a good indication that Tillerson is competent to lead U.S. foreign policy, particularly in regards to Russia. It’s also positive to hear that Tillerson hasn’t committed to any positions so far regarding the sanctions, indicating that he is open to flexibility in order to establish peace in Ukraine.

As we mentioned when U.S. President-elect Trump nominated Tillerson last month, we expect he will gain approval from U.S. Congress  to become America’s next leading diplomat. And we also expect that he will be tougher on the Russians than what is currently being speculated in establishment circles.