Europe & Eurasia

Tillerson Hearing Takeaways

US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the job of secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, had his confirmation hearing on January 11. Here are our analysts’ takeaways from that session.

Tillerson’s Views on Russia Remain Murky

By Alina Polyakova

Russia dominated the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s grilling of Rex Tillerson, whose views on the country have been the subject of much speculation. As chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, Tillerson had extensive business dealings with Russia. The senators used that experience at Tillerson’s confirmation hearing on January 11 to press US President-elect Donald […]

Tillerson Could Boost Energy Diplomacy

By Agnia Grigas

With the United States having emerged as an energy superpower, US President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate the former chief executive officer of energy giant ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson, as secretary of state is significant. Under Tillerson’s leadership, the State Department will have an opportunity to pursue a powerful energy diplomacy strategy.

Democrats Making a Mistake by Looking for a ‘Scapegoat’ for Clinton’s Loss, says Trump Advisor

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A senior national security advisor to US President-elect Donald Trump said on January 10 that the Democrats are making a mistake by looking for a “scapegoat” on which to blame Hillary Clinton’s presidential election defeat. “For anybody who wants to blame the loss of Hillary Clinton or the Democrats… you are making a mistake if […]