Hard talk with Russia
Tillerson’s visit can clear the air, if done right
The working visit of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Russia will require serious discussion, especially with President Vladimir Putin. Relations are off-track in two particular areas. The first and immediate problem is differing approaches to Syria and its 6-year-old-plus war. The second area is the Russian role in American politics, in particular the 2016 and possibly future elections.
Mr. Tillerson needs, first, to develop a working relationship with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with whom Mr. Tillerson’s predecessor, John F. Kerry, was able to do some useful business, particularly in the runup to the Iran nuclear limitation agreement with China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and the United States. Mr. Lavrov has Mr. Putin’s confidence and is easier to deal with than Mr. Putin himself. (It is not yet clear if Mr. Tillerson can speak for President Donald Trump.)
The Syria war issue is urgent and dangerous. The agreement to observe measures to keep Russian and U.S. forces operating in Syria from conflicting, suspended by the Russians last week after the U.S. airfield attack, must be restored at once. Russians and Americans shooting at each other in or over Syria should be the last thing either side wants. Both sides should agree on an endgame for the war itself.
Mr. Tillerson also needs to discuss privately and honestly the scrap in the United States over just what role the Russians played and intend to play in American elections. It is an unpleasant subject, but Mr. Tillerson should be able to pursue it, given his previous good relations with Russia’s leaders as head of Exxon Mobil. It needs a thorough airing, given the level of anger and rhetoric among Americans.
Restoration and respect of existing and possible future weapons agreements between the two countries should be on the agenda. Reciprocal arms agreements not only reduce the danger to the world of warfare between its two most heavily armed nations; they also save money.
Easy agreement should be possible between the two countries on the necessity of combating Islamic terrorism, which threatens both, Russia in the Caucasus and the United States on a global basis. The U.S. should stop pushing on the Russians in Eastern Europe; Russia should stop provoking the nervous nations of that same region. NATO-Russian consultations should be resumed.
Economic and business cooperation between the two countries should be explored for possible opportunities on both sides. Russia is finding its dependence on oil and gas difficult given price trends, and needs to diversify. Mr. Trump has promises to the U.S. economy to keep before he sleeps and if closer economic ties to Russia can help, fine.
Finally, given all the probably misleading smoke in the air, one-onone meetings between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump are very much needed before more water passes under the bridge. Mr. Tillerson should schedule these now.
His plate will be full. Whether U.S.Russian relations should be occupying such a large place in U.S. foreign relations is another question altogether, but they do, and he needs to see to them in Moscow this week.