Tillerson’s firing throws US diplomacy in turmoil
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump threw US diplomacy into fresh turmoil on Tuesday by firing his secretary of state Rex Tillerson — said to have discovered his fate via Twitter — and promoting two officials condemned by human rights groups for endorsing or overseeing torture, The Guardian reported yesterday.
A visibly shaken and demoralized Tillerson spoke briefly at the state department, without answering reporters’ questions, The Guardian said.
He did not criticize Trump’s decision but nor did he include the president in a list of thank yous.
Tillerson said he received a call “a little after noon time” from Trump and chief of staff John Kelly “to ensure we have clarity as to the days ahead.”
He added: “What is most important is to ensure an orderly and smooth transition during a time that the country continues to face significant policy and national security challenges.”
Effective at the end of the day, all duties would be delegated to deputy secretary John Sullivan. Tillerson’s time at state will formally end at midnight on March 31.
Reflecting on his tenure, Tillerson claimed “we exceeded the expectations of almost everyone” regarding North Korea.
He acknowledged that much works remains to be done on the relationship with China.
In what some interpreted as a parting shot at Trump, he singled out the “troubling behavior and actions” of Russia.
“Russia must assess care- fully as to how its actions are in the best interest of the Russian people and of the world more broadly,” Tillerson said.
“Continuing on their current trajectory is likely to lead to greater isolation on their part, a situation which is not in anyone’s interest.”
The Kremlin said yesterday it hoped for a constructive and sober approach to relations between Russia and the United States following Tillerson’s firing.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was unlikely ties between Moscow and Washington could get any worse.
“In any case, there’s hope for constructive and sober relations,” he told reporters.
Japan’s foreign minister, on the other hand, said yesterday he personally regretted the departure of “frank, trustworthy” Tillerson ahead of a proposed summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jongun.
“Tillerson was a frank, trustworthy counterpart and I thought we would deal with the North Korea issue together, but personally, I feel that this situation that has developed is unfortunate,” Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told reporters in Tokyo.
Critics expressed dismay at the decision to swap out top diplomats so soon before the unprecedented potential meeting between Kim and Trump, and worried that newly installed state secretary Mike Pompeo would encourage Trump to be hawkish on North Korea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China hopes the change in personnel will not impact the development of relations and important areas of cooperation.