Former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., argued that Secretary of State-designee Rex Tillerson has the skills to confront Russia when necessary while also mitigating the risk of nuclear war.
“The United States and Russia, like it or not, are bound together in areas of unavoidable common interest, including the prevention of nuclear and biological terrorism, the prevention of nuclear proliferation, false warnings of nuclear attacks, and the hacking of command-and-control systems for nuclear facilities,” Nunn said while introducing Tillerson at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing.
Tillerson’s nomination has raised concerns among Democrats and even some Republicans, who were alarmed by his willingness to strike energy deals opposed by the U.S. government — he received Russia’s Order of Friendship from Putin — and troubled by his opposition to imposing sanctions on Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea.
“Russia’s values differ from America’s values, in particular our form of government, our commitment to personal freedom, human rights and the rule of law. These fundamental differences are very important and the fact that our interests and values differ should always inform our policy toward Russia,” Nunn said. “The important facts don’t end here. It is also a fact that Russia today employs hundreds of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles that could be fired and hit their targets around the globe in less time than it will take to have opening statements at the hearing today. It is also a fact that for both the United States and Russia, the risk of an accidental unauthorized or mistaken launch of a nuclear ballistic missile is unnecessarily high, particularly in our world of increasing cyber vulnerability.”
Nunn’s statement was just one part of an introduction attempting to support Tillerson and neutralize his own vulnerability as a friend to Russia.
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates struck the same theme. “This new administration must thread the needle between pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s aggressions,” Gates, who is now a consultant for Exxon and recommended that President-elect Trump nominate Tillerson, said in his opening remarks. “And at the same time find a way to stop a dangerous downward spiral in our relationship with Russia. I believe Mr. Tillerson is the right person at the right time to help accomplish both of his goals.”
Even some Republicans need persuading.
“Anybody who is a friend of Vladimir Putin must disregard the fact that Vladimir Putin is a murderer, a thug, a KGB agent whose airplanes as we speak have been targeting, with precision weapons, hospitals in [Syria], who have committed atrocities throughout the region, and has destabilized Ukraine,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said last month following Tillerson’s nomination. “I don’t see how anybody could be a friend of this old-time KGB agent.”
The politics of Tillerson’s confirmation have been complicated by Trump’s ongoing fight with the intelligence agencies that have concluded Russia carried out a series of cyberattacks and tactical leaks against the Democratic Party. Trump dismissed those findings and impeached the credibility of the CIA; the intelligence community released a report concluding that Putin “developed a clear preference” for Trump during the campaign.
But Gates said that Tillerson will be a capable adviser of Trump. “Importantly, he would be candid and honest, willing to tell the president straight from the shoulder what he needs to hear,” Gates said.
