SOME RED LINES AND PROMISING TO
MAKE CLEAR THERE WILL BE A
RESPONSE WHERE PUTIN HAS ACTED
IN THE WAY HE HAS IN THE PAST.
TIM KAINE IN VIRGINIA, MEMBER OF
THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING BACK ON
OUR SHOW AND SPECIAL COVERAGE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
YOU HAVE BEEN GLUED TO THE
TELEVISION WATCHING THESE UNFOLD
AS WE SEE THE LIVE PICTURES COME
IN.
WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU SO FAR AS
WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THE
TWO-HOUR MARK OF THIS
DISCUSSION?
>> WELL, IT IS AN IMPORTANT
MEETING, AND I THINK PRESIDENT
BIDEN SET THE RIGHT TONE.
HE SAYS WHAT WE WANT IS
STABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND
ITS NOT ABOUT A WARM
RELATIONSHIP.
WE DO NOT TRUST VLADIMIR PUTIN
AND WERE NOT GOING TO TRUST
HIM.
HES AN AUTHORITARIAN THUG, BUT
THERE ARE AREAS WHERE RUSSIA AND
THE UNITED STATES HAVE COMMON
INTERESTS REDUCING TERRORISM.
NEITHER RUSSIA OR THE UNITED
STATES WANT IRAN TO GET A
NUCLEAR WEAPON AND THE
OBAMA-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GOT
RUSSIA AND OTHER NATIONS TO
EFFECTIVELY STOP THE IRANIAN
QUEST TO STOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY THOSE AND
MAKE CLEAR THAT WHEN RUSSIA AND
ITS NOT RUSSIA, ITS REALLY
PUTIN AND HIS HENCHMEN DO BAD
THINGS THERE WILL BE A RESPONSE.
>> TO THAT POINT, SENATOR, ITS
SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT
SAID BEFORE HE LEFT TO RUSSIA
SAYING WE WILL RESPOND IN KIND.
THAT IS THE MESSAGE HE WANTS TO
SAY AND THERE IS CONCERN THAT
THAT MAY PUT AMERICA DIRECTLY IN
A CONFRONTATIONAL POINT WITH
RUSSIA WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES
OF CYBERSECURITY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOURE
PREPARED, THAT CONGRESS SHOULD
BE PREPARED TO UNDERTAKE A
DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA
WHEN IT COMES TO CYBER ATTACKS
AND CYBER OFFENSES AND YOU KNOW,
BEEF UP OR STEP UP THE SANCTIONS
AGAINST RUSSIAN INDIVIDUALS WHO
MAY BE INVOLVED IN THESE CYBER
CRIMES?
>> I THINK WE HAVE TO BE READY
AND WILLING TO DO THAT, AND
VLADIMIR PUTIN CERTAINLY
UNDERSTANDS OUR CAPACITY IS MUCH
GREATER THAN RUSSIAS CAPACITY.
SO FAR, RUSSIAS MINIMAL --
LESSER CAPACITY, THEYVE BEEN
MORE WILLING TO USE IT IN
MISCHIEVOUS WAYS AND WE, AS A
CIVILIZED NATION TRYING TO DO
THINGS RIGHT ARE LESS FORWARD
LEANING IN USING SOME OF THESE
TACTICS TO RESPOND OR TO PUT
THEM BACK ON THEIR HEELS.
WE HAVE TO BE READY TO DO IT,
BUT I WILL SAY THIS.
THIS IS ALL AGAINST THE BACKDROP
OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN HAVING WITH
EUROPEAN ALLIES THIS WEEK.
WHATS BEEN THE MAIN POINT OF
DISCUSSION HAS BEEN CHINA, AND
WE CANT TAKE OUR EYE OFF THAT
BALL.
CHINA IS THE COMPETITOR AND
ADVERSARY, DIPLOMATIC,
HUMANITARIAN, MILITARY, AND
RUSSIA POSES SOME MILITARY
MISCHIEF THREATS AND THEYRE NOT
AN ECONOMIC COMPETITOR, THEYRE
NOT A DIPLOMATIC COMPETITOR AND
NOT A COMPETITOR FOR
HUMANITARIAN CAUSES AROUND THE
GLOBE.
THEYRE NOT.
SO WE CANT TAKE OUR EYE OFF THE
BALL.
WE JUST HAVE TO TRY TO CREATE A
STABLE AND PREDICTABLE
RELATIONSHIP ON RUSSIA ON THE
ITEMS WHERE WE HAVE COMMON
INTERESTS.
>> AND SENATOR, ITS ANDREA
MITCHELL IN GENEVA.
>> ANDRY A GREAT.
>> ITS GOOD TO TALK TO YOU.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
IN TERMS OF ARMS CONTROL YOU ARE
SUCH AN EXPERT ON ALL OF THE
FOREIGN POLICY.
ARMS CONTROL NOW ENCOMPASSING
CYBER AND ALL OF THE COMPLEXITY
OF VERIFY ANYTHING KIND OF CYBER
AGREEMENTS.
THERES THE NEW S.T.A.R.T.
TREATY THAT EXPIRES IN FIVE
YEARS.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM
INCLUDE GENERAL GARASIMOV, AND
THEY ALSO HAVE ANTONOV WHO
NEGOTIATED THE NEW S.T.A.R.T.
AGREEMENT.
>> RIGHT.
>> IT MAY BE THAT THEY DO WANT
TO FOCUS AND TAKE A DEEP DIVE ON
THESE ISSUES WHEREAS WE DONT
HAVE ECONOMIC COMPETITION WITH
RUSSIA.
WE CERTAINLY HAVE STRATEGIC
COMPETITION WITH RUSSIA AS WELL
AS INTERESTS IN GETTING SOME
DIPLOMATIC TALKS STARTED IN
SYRIA WHERE THEY ARE BURDENED BY
THIS ONGOING WAR AFTER TEN YEARS
AND THEY WANT TO GET SOME
RELIEF.
>> I THINK, ANDREA, YOU DO POINT
OUT SOME COMMON AREAS.
LOOK, IT WAS GOOD NEWS THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN EARLY IN HIS 10
IRE DECIDED WE WANT TO EBLS TEND
THE NEW S.T.A.R.T. TREATY
BECAUSE IT WAS SET TO EXPIRE AND
BOTH THE U.S. AND RUSSIA
REALIZED IT WAS IN OUR INTEREST
TO DO THAT.
WED LIKE TO GET CHINA TO BE
PART OF THAT TREATY OVER TIME.
SO BOTH NATIONS SAID WHATEVER
OUR FEELINGS ABOUT THE STATE OF
THE RELATIONSHIP, THIS IS A
POSITIVE.
SYRIA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
THERE IS INTENSE NEED THAT
REMAINS FOR DELIVERY OF
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE INTO
SYRIA FOR PEOPLE IN THE
NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST SYRIA
AND RUSSIA CAN BE A KEY PART OF
THAT.
WHY WOULDNT THEY WANT TO BE A
KEY PART OF THAT, SO THE BATTLE
AGAINST TERRORISM.
RUSSIA DEALS WITH ITS OWN
TERRORIST CHALLENGES AND MANY
RUSSIANS END UP BECOMING FOREIGN
FIGHTERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
CONNECTED WITH ISIS AND OTHERS.
THEY WANT TO STOP THAT AND WE
DO, TOO.
SO WE HAVE TO STAND STRONG
AGAINST RUSSIAN MISBEHAVE DWRORI
THAT DOESNT MEAN WE SHOULDNT
LOOK CAREFULLY IN THESE AREAS
WITH THE NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN,
RUSSIA, AND WE DONT DO A LOT OF
DIPLOMATIC DEALS WHERE WE HAVE
RUSSIA AND CHINA WORKING
TOGETHER WITH US AND GETTING
BACK INTO THAT IMPROVES THE
CHANCE FOR BETTER DIALOGUE ON
THE NEXT ISSUE THAT COMES UP.
>> SENATOR, I HAVE TO LET YOU
AND OUR VIEWERS KNOW THAT WE DO
HAVE A DEVELOPMENT NOW FROM
GENEVA, THAT FIRST SESSION WITH
VLADIMIR PUTIN AND PRESIDENT
BIDEN HAS WRAPPED UP.
A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL TELLING
REPORTERS THERE THAT IT ENDED --
IM LOOKING AT MY CLOCK, ABOUT
15 MINUTES AGO.
IT WENT UP ABOUT 9:17 EASTERN
TIME AND 3:17 GENEVA TIME.
TOTAL AN HOUR AND 33 MINUTES FOR
THIS DISCUSSION FOR PRESIDENT
BIDEN AND PRESIDENT PUTIN AND
SERGEY LAVROV AND TONY BLINKEN.
THEY ARE MOVING INTO THE
EXPANDED SESSION.
I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, SENATOR,
BUT FOR FOLKS AT HOME, THIS IS
WHEN YOU WILL SEE MORE PEOPLE,
MORE AIDES COME IN AND WE WERE
TALKING WITH BEN RHODES AND
JEREMY BASH ABOUT HOW OFTEN THE
SENSITIVE ISSUES GET WORKED OUT
IN SESSION ONE WITH THE FIRST,
MORE CLOSED SESSION AND THEN YOU
HAVE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE ON
THE AGENDA IN THE BROADER
SESSION, AND BEFORE I LET YOU
GO, LISTEN, LETS BE REAL.
WERE DOING SOME TEA LEAF
READING HERE.
WHAT DOES AN HOUR AND 33 MINUTES
MEAN?
WHAT COULD THEY HAVE REALLY
DONE?
HOW MUCH PROGRESS WAS MADE?
I KNOW THERE WAS SPECULATION AND
I WONDER YOUR INITIAL THOUGHT ON
THAT AND SECONDARILY AS WE TALK
ABOUT THE DOMESTIC PIECE OF
THIS, TOO, SOME OF THE
REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE CRITICIZED
PRESIDENT BIDEN BEFORE KNOWING
THE OUTCOME OF THIS FOR THE WAY
THAT HE HAS CONDUCTED HIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
SO FAR AND THE STORYLINE AROUND
THIS SUMMIT HAS DEVELOPED.
>> ON THE REPUBLICAN CRITIQUE,
IM GLAD WE FINALLY GOT A
PRESIDENT WHO DOESNT COZY UP TO
THE DICTATOR VLADIMIR PUTIN.
UNDER DONALD TRUMP HE WOULD COZY
UP TO PUTIN AND POUR COLD WATER
ON OUR EUROPEAN ALLIES.
JOE BIDEN RIGHTLY IS REVERSING
THAT.
WE ARE LINKING ARMS WITH OUR
EUROPEAN ALLIES AND HE IS
EXPRESSING THE RIGHT LEVEL OF
SKEPTICISM ABOUT PUTIN AS AN
INDIVIDUAL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID RIGHT
BEFORE THIS SUMMIT WAS WE HIT
BELARUS WITH VERY TOUGH
SANCTIONS FOR VIOLATING
INTERNATIONAL LAW TO TARGET A
POLITICAL OPPONENT.
YOUVE GOT TO BELIEVE THAT
VLADIMIR PUTIN COMPLETELY
UNDERSTOOD WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.
IT WAS ABOUT BELARUS, BUT IT WAS
ALSO ABOUT, HEY, IF YOU VIOLATE
INTERNATIONAL LAW TO TARGET
POLITICAL OPPONENTS UNDER THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION YOU WILL
NOT HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO WILL
SHRUG ABOUT IT AND YOU WILL HAVE