Rex Tillerson Confirmation Hearing: Live Webcast
By Tyler Durden
Tillerson’s confirmation hearing, in which the former Exxon CEO will seek to distance himself from Putin and say that Russia “must be held accountable for its actions” adding that “Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests.” begins at 9am Eastern, and can be watched below.
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Earlier:
Anticipating questions at his upcoming confirmation hearing, in which his “close relationship” with Russia will likely be in the spotlight for most of the session, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of State on Wednesday will tell senators that Russia “must be held accountable for its actions” and that “Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests.”
“Our NATO allies are right to be alarmed at a resurgent Russia,” Tillerson, 64, will say before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, according to his prepared remarks. At the same time, he faults a lack of U.S. leadership for Russia’s aggressiveness, citing “weak or mixed signals with ‘red lines’ that turned into green lights” adding “we must also be clear-eyed about our relationship with Russia.”
Having been accused of being friendly with Putin during his tenure as Exxon CEO, it should not come as a surprise that his remarks are a sharp departure from comments by Trump, who has called for a friendlier relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Critics have raised questions over Tillerson’s close ties to Russia since his nomination for secretary of State. He received Russia’s Order of Friendship Award from President Vladimir Putin in 2013 and he opposed sanctions against the country following its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014.
As Bloomberg adds, “it’s also a stark turnaround for an oil baron who staked billions of dollars on Russia’s crude bonanza and as recently as 3 1/2 years ago was feted by Russia with its Order of Friendship. One of Tillerson’s most decisive moves as chief executive officer and chairman of Exxon was to make Russia the company’s biggest single exploration prospect globally.”
Now, Tillerson faces the challenge of assuring lawmakers that he can pursue the broader interests of U.S. foreign policy after his 41-year career at Exxon, the world’s largest energy company by market value.
Tillerson’s hearing comes at an awkward time, just a day after reports surfaced that intelligence officials had briefed the president-elect on a shadowy, unverifiable dossier alleging the Russian government had compromising information on him. The 35-page document, made up of a collection of memos filled with explosive claims about Trump’s relationship to Russia – which may or may not have been originated on 4chan – has been circulating among journalists and officials for months.
Still, despite the recent surge in hacking-related newsflow, Tillerson will avoid the topic. In his testimony, Tillerson says Russia has acted against U.S. interests and urges an “open and frank dialogue” so that “we know how to chart our own course.” But, as Bloomberg adds, he makes no mention of U.S. intelligence findings that Russia hacked into …read more
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