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.
