McFaul: I Was Shocked at How Tough Tillerson’s Language Was on the Eve of His First Visit to Moscow

Mitchell And you know ░░░░░░░░ well I think you ░░░░░░░░ probably there when Secretary ░░░░░░░░ had to wait three ░░░░░░░░ for his meeting with ░░░░░░░░ Putin delights in asserting ░░░░░░░░ power and his strength ░░░░░░░░ never officially announced on ░░░░░░░░ U S side that ░░░░░░░░ would be that meeting ░░░░░░░░ told us that it ░░░░░░░░ typically done when the ░░░░░░░░ of state visits and ░░░░░░░░ briefed us on background ░░░░░░░░ officials did on what ░░░░░░░░ likely happen from the ░░░░░░░░ side They never said ░░░░░░░░ was on the schedule ░░░░░░░░ they sort of built ░░░░░░░░ the deniability in case ░░░░░░░░ s cancelled but it ░░░░░░░░ very clear as you ░░░░░░░░ out if there is ░░░░░░░░ meeting whether it was ░░░░░░░░ or not scheduled if ░░░░░░░░ does not take place ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow that is a ░░░░░░░░ signal and all of ░░░░░░░░ could change dramatically with ░░░░░░░░ U S strike against ░░░░░░░░ Syrians The language from ░░░░░░░░ Mike about the Russians ░░░░░░░░ either complicit with Syria ░░░░░░░░ they were embedded on ░░░░░░░░ air base where the ░░░░░░░░ were launched from they ░░░░░░░░ either complicit or incompetent ░░░░░░░░ they had committed back ░░░░░░░░ 2013 to be the ░░░░░░░░ of the international agreement ░░░░░░░░ was proposed by Russia ░░░░░░░░ actually gave Russia a ░░░░░░░░ lot more leverage because ░░░░░░░░ was the explanation for ░░░░░░░░ Obama not using military ░░░░░░░░ saying Well we accomplished ░░░░░░░░ we needed to without ░░░░░░░░ military force because the ░░░░░░░░ are guaranteeing it and ░░░░░░░░ have this international agreement ░░░░░░░░ all of the declared ░░░░░░░░ by Assad have been ░░░░░░░░ What we re now ░░░░░░░░ of course is declared ░░░░░░░░ means that Assad did ░░░░░░░░ list everything that he ░░░░░░░░ McFaul That is right ░░░░░░░░ mean I think it ░░░░░░░░ a real blow for ░░░░░░░░ and his stature as ░░░░░░░░ person who could deliver ░░░░░░░░ that I was there ░░░░░░░░ 2013 when President Obama ░░░░░░░░ President Putin met in ░░░░░░░░ Petersburg and did this ░░░░░░░░ And the operative verb ░░░░░░░░ you just used there ░░░░░░░░ eliminate It was an ░░░░░░░░ to get rid of ░░░░░░░░ all of the chemical ░░░░░░░░ so I think that ░░░░░░░░ big questions both about ░░░░░░░░ s ability to deliver ░░░░░░░░ committed with Mr Assad ░░░░░░░░ I think it raises ░░░░░░░░ about the United Nations ░░░░░░░░ well that after all ░░░░░░░░ involved in this and ░░░░░░░░ won the Nobel Peace ░░░░░░░░ as a result of ░░░░░░░░ deal But to your ░░░░░░░░ about Tillerson I have ░░░░░░░░ say I was shocked ░░░░░░░░ how tough his language ░░░░░░░░ on the eve of ░░░░░░░░ first visit to Moscow ░░░░░░░░ secretary of state just ░░░░░░░░ radical reversal from the ░░░░░░░░ moderate diplomatic language that ░░░░░░░░ had been using just ░░░░░░░░ arriving in Moscow I ░░░░░░░░ almost positive that that ░░░░░░░░ not going to go ░░░░░░░░ well in the Kremlin.”