Americas...:‘Tillerson Wants Stronger Ties with Russia’

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson genuinely wants cooperation with Russia especially in fighting the Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL' group] but will move slowly at first to avoid provoking Congressional hawks, US analysts told Sputnik.

On Wednesday, the US Senate in a final vote confirmed Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, as President Donald Trump's secretary of state by a 56 to 43 vote, with Republicans backing the nominee and most Democrats opposing him.

"President Trump will need the vote of every Senate Republican on several crucial bills and appointments," Ohio Northern University Assistant Professor of History Robert Waters said on Wednesday.

"There is no reason for him [Tillerson] to antagonize [Senators] Rubio, McCain, and Graham about an issue that is not pressing."

Trump and Tillerson knew that Republican hawks who have been highly critical of the new president might join forces with Democratic political opponents to try and prevent him in ending the sanctions on Russia, Waters explained.

"If they [Trump and Tillerson] try to lift sanctions on Russia, they will face bipartisan push back in Congress," Waters cautioned.

Waters expressed confidence that Tillerson was determined to seek improved relations between the nuclear superpowers, but expected that the new secretary of state was likely to have to deal with starting the renegotiation of trade treaties first.

"Right now relations with Russia appear to be on one of the very back burners. Tillerson's focus will be on negotiating trade treaties and improving relations with Mexico while making them pay for the wall - it will take impressive diplomatic skills!" Waters said.

Changing US Russian policy would also have to wait because of the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the rows over earlier hacks into US government computers, Waters continued.

Source: Sputnik, Edited by website team