Today Secretary Rex Tillerson continued to put the interests of Russia and Vladimir Putin first when he argued against new bipartisan sanctions that have been introduced in the Senate. Tillerson called the legislation “ill-timed” earlier today, a sentiment that aligns with his history of supported pro-Russia policies and those of his former employer, ExxonMobil. In fact, earlier this spring, ExxonMobil asked for a waiver allowing them to ignore current Russian sanctions and continue a multi-billion dollar deal with Russia’s state owned oil giant Rosneft that began under Tillerson’s watch. Exxon must meet certain benchmarks by the end of the year for the deal to survive, which new sanctions would make it more difficult for them to reach. Additionally, Tillerson has a long-standing relationship with Vladimir Putin, who awarded him with the Order of Friendship medal.
Watch Tillerson refuse to endorse the Russia sanctions bill here.
“For an administration that claims to put ‘America First’ they seem to go out of their way to do the exact opposite,” said American Bridge spokesperson Sabrina Singh. “Opposing bipartisan sanctions is sadly just the latest example of this administration prioritizing Russian interests at our country’s expense. Putin must be so proud of his fellow comrades.”
Published: Jun 13, 2017