American News
Pompeo cites Russian aggression, says diplomacy must go on
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of state is declaring that years of soft U.S. policy toward Russia are over and vowing to promote democracy and human rights while ending “demoralizing” vacancies at the State Department.
Mike Pompeo is set to appear Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Now serving as Trump’s CIA director, the former Kansas congressman has been nominated to replace Rex Tillerson as America’s top diplomat.
In prepared remarks for his Senate confirmation, Pompeo chastises Russia for acting “aggressively” and emphasizes that the Trump administration considers Russia “a danger to our country.” But he also says that diplomatic efforts with Moscow, while challenging, “must continue.”
Pompeo also stresses America’s “duty to lead,” despite Trump’s own vows to put “America first.”