LOT OF DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY, YOU
KNOW, I THINK THIRSTING FOR.
>> YOU KNOW, AMBASSADOR McFALL,
I THINK THERE’S A LOT THAT
PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
BETWEEN WHAT DONALD TRUMP DOES
IN PUNCHING THEM IN THE FACE,
DONALD TRUMP IS A SYCOPHANT.
HE’S MADE AMERICA SUBSERVIENT TO
PUTIN.
HE DOESN’T LET A NOTE TAKER COME
IN TO HEAR WHAT HE’S SAID.
THERE’S A LOT THAT WOULD ACHIEVE
THE GOAL OF FIRMING UP OUR
POSTURE, RESTORING OUR DIGNITY
IN THE RELATIONSHIP, ISN’T THAT
RIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY, NICOLE.
IT WILL BE NIGHT AND DAY WITH
RESPECT TO HOW PRESIDENT BIDEN
WILL DEAL WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN.
I WAS AT THE MEETING IN MARCH OF
2011 WITH BIDEN AND PUTIN.
THERE WAS NO HAPPY TALK, NO
LET’S BE FRIENDS.
THE MEETING WAS PRETTY TENSE,
BECAUSE WE WERE DEALING WITH
SOME DIFFICULT ISSUES,
PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO
GEORGIA.
THEN THE VICE PRESIDENT WENT AND
MET WITH CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS
AND OPPOSITION FIGURES TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT WE WEREN’T
GOING TO CHECK OUR VALUES AT THE
DOOR WHEN DEALING WITH THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
AND I SUSPECT THAT WILL BE THE
STRATEGY GOING FORWARD.
IT’S NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
THESE ARE NOT EASY ISSUES.
THEY NEVER WERE, EVEN DURING THE
COLD WAR.
WE CONFRONTED AND CONTAINED THE
SOVIET UNION, AND ALSO ENGAGED
IN ARMS CONTROL.
BUT THERE WILL BE NONE OF THIS
SYCOPHANTIC I WANT TO BE YOUR
FRIEND THAT WE’VE SEEN DURING
THE TRUMP ERA.
>> YOU LEFT OUT SOME OF THE
GREAT DETAILS FROM THAT MEETING.
I’M GOING TO READ IT.
I THINK YOU WERE THERE, THIS IS
THEN VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN.
HE SAID, MR. PRIME MINISTER, I’M
LOOKING INTO YOUR EYES. HE REMEMBERS TELLING HIM WITH A
HE REMEMBERS TELLING HIM WITH A
SMILE, A NOD TO GEORGE W. BUSH
SEEING INTO HIS SOUL.
I DON’T THINK YOU HAVE A SOUL.
THE RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER SAID,
WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
AMBASSADOR, CAN YOU JUST FLESH
OUT THE HISTORY OF THE
U.S./RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP?
IT WAS NEVER ABOUT WHAT DONALD
TRUMP SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS
ABOUT.
THEY DO NOT RESPECT LAPDOGS.
>> I’D LOVE TO SUMMARIZE ALL OF
U.S./RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIPS IN 30
SECONDS.
>> WE WILL DO THAT SOMEDAY.
>> BUT LET ME SUMMARIZE THE LAST
TEN YEARS, RIGHT?
WHEN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
CAME IN, I WAS PART OF THAT
ADMINISTRATION.
WE ENGAGED WITH THE PRESIDENT
FROM WHAT WE CALL WIN/WIN
OUTCOMES, THINGS WE THOUGHT WERE
GOOD FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
WE SIGNED THE START TREATY, AND
OTHER THINGS.
BUT WHEN PUTIN CAME IN, HE
DIDN’T SEE THE WORLD IN TERMS OF
WIN/WIN OUTCOMES.
HE SEES THE UNITED STATES IN
ZERO SUM TERMS.
AND COOPERATION ENDED.
WHEN TRUMP CAME IN, HE MADE GOOD
RELATIONS WITH PUTIN THE
OBJECTIVE OF HIS FOREIGN POLICY
TOWARDS RUSSIA.
IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT GOT DONE.
I CAN’T THINK OF A SINGLE THING
THAT GOT DONE BECAUSE OF HIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH PUTIN.
SO YOU WON’T HAVE THE HAPPY TALK AND THE PRETEND FRIENDSHIP.
AND THE PRETEND FRIENDSHIP.
THERE’S NO FRIENDS IN DIPLOMACY,
JUST INTEREST.
SO THE NEW START TREATY, THAT
SHOULD BE EXTENDED.
THAT’S GOOD FOR THE AMERICAN
NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST.
I HOPE THEY DO THAT.
BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO CHECK OUR
VALUES, AND WE NEED TO PUSH BACK
ON WHAT RUSSIA IS DOING AGAINST