Florida senator Marco Rubio pointedly asked secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson for his views on the Kremlin’s treatment of political foes and activity in Syria during a confirmation hearing Wednesday, making for a tense exchange between the Russia hawk and the former Exxon Mobil CEO whose ties to Vladimir Putin’s government have become central to his consideration for the diplomatic post.
Tillerson has worked closely with Russia on energy deals since the 1990’s and received an Order of Friendship from Putin in 2013. The executive also criticized U.S. sanctions activity during an Exxon Mobil shareholders meeting in 2014, saying, generally, “we don’t find them to be effective,” according to the Dallas Business Journal. That same year, the Obama administration levied sanctions on Russia over the 2014 annexation of Crimea, which affected Exxon Mobil’s business dealings in the country.
Rubio, whose vote on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could prove decisive in clearing Tillerson for consideration before the full Senate, grilled Tillerson over atrocities committed by Russia in Syria. Rubio specifically pressed him on whether he would describe Putin as a “war criminal.”
“I do not have sufficient information to make that claim,” Tillerson said.
“Let me describe the situation in Aleppo and perhaps that will help you reach that conclusion,” Rubio said, before he launched into a description of Russian actions in Syria and Chechnya.
The nominee still hesitated to describe Putin in those terms before he fully understood public and classified information on the matter. “Those are very, very serious charges to make,” Tillerson said. “I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion.”
“There’s so much information out there. It should not be hard to say that Vladimir Putin’s military has conducted war crimes in Aleppo,” Rubio responded. “I find it discouraging, your inability to cite that.”
Tennessee Republican and committee chairman Bob Corker stepped in after Rubio’s remarks to ask Tillerson whether he would state that Putin committed war crimes, if classified information mirrored public knowledge. “If you were able, through your own independent knowledge in working with classified agencies here within the government, to determine that the types of activities that [Senator Rubio] so well-articulated took place, you would agree that those, in fact, would be war crimes?” Corker asked.
“Yes, sir,” Tillerson said.
In another line of questioning, Rubio drilled Tillerson over whether the Kremlin ordered the murder of journalists and political opponents. Tillerson again hesitated, citing the need for more information.
“I do not have sufficient information to make that claim,” he said.
“None of this is classified, Mr. Tillerson. These people are dead,” Rubio fired back.
Tillerson also avoided saying whether he would repeal sanctions issued by President Obama in late December in response to a Kremlin-led cyber campaign on the United States.
“I would want to examine all aspects of it in consultation not only with the president but with other agencies that are going to have input on this, as to their views,” he said.
In his opening remarks, Tillerson acknowledged Russian efforts to sow instability in Crimea and Syria and said it was necessary to defend American interests.
“We must also be clear-eyed about our relationship with Russia,” he said. “Russia must know that we will be accountable to our commitments and those of our allies, and that Russia must be held to account for its actions.”
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham and Arizona senator John McCain have also questioned Tillerson’s ties to Russia. Both senators have taken the lead on a bipartisan package of sanctions to push back on Russian hostility, including the country’s cyber campaign related to the U.S. election.
