Rex Tillerson on US-Russia relations
From Rex Tillerson Full Interview With Chris Wallace · · The Piper Report
“Chris that's not my my interpretation certainly of the conversation and I think what the president was trying to convey to the Russian just look I'm not going to be distracted by this this all these issues that are here home they you know that affect us domestically I'm not going to let that distract from our efforts to see if we can engage with you engage with Russia and identify areas where we might be able to work together the president I think realized the message to the Russians that the relationship is at a low point and we need to change that we need to both work towards trying to prove that so I think the point he was making is I'm not going to be distracted by those things that are happening here at home nor let them get in the way of the important work of engaging Russia to see what can be done to improve this relationship.”
On , Rex Tillerson, Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at ExxonMobil, spoke about US-Russia relations during Rex Tillerson Full Interview With Chris Wallace on The Piper Report.
About Rex Tillerson
Rex Tillerson served as U.S. Secretary of State from February 2017 to March 2018. During his tenure, he described the administration's approach to North Korea as a "peaceful pressure campaign," which he said was the same as what President Donald Trump called the "maximum pressure campaign." Tillerson stated that the re-designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism in November 2017 was a step to hold the country accountable for actions including assassinations and the use of banned chemical weapons. He said the sanctions were having an effect, citing fuel shortages and reduced revenues, and expressed hope that the pressure would lead Kim Jong Un to reverse the nuclear weapons program. Tillerson was fired by President Trump on March 13, 2018, and announced he would delegate his responsibilities to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan to ensure a smooth transition. In his farewell address to State Department staff, he said the department had "exceeded the expectations of almost everyone" with the North Korea pressure campaign and noted accomplishments including ceasefires in Syria and the adoption of a South Asia strategy. He also said Russia must "assess carefully" its actions, warning that continuing on its current trajectory could lead to "greater isolation." In his final remarks, Tillerson told staff that Washington "can be a very mean-spirited town" but that "you don't have to choose to participate in that."