Coons: If Tillerson Doesn’t Give Strong Answers on Russia, He ‘Will Struggle’

EXCERPT:

COONS: "I was initially alarmed when Rex Tillerson was announced as the nominee for secretary of state given his long, close-working relationship with Russia and in particular with Vladimir Putin. In my hour and a half private meeting with him last week, he gave very strong answers to my very pointed questions about whether he can really transition from running a global oil company and delivering shareholder value from countries that have oil in them to being secretary of state and fighting for America’s values, for a free press and human rights and democracy and whether he would stand up to Putin and sees him clearly as a thug and autocrat and an opponent of western democracies. I’ll be asking him similar questions today as will other members of the panel. And if he doesn’t give strong and firm answers, I think he will struggle to get confirmed."