Trump's Team Looks Smarter on Russia

Rex Tillerson made it clear at his confirmation hearing that he is not a fan of Vladimir Putin. That surprised many of those who held his record of successful deals in Russia, and his Russian Order of Friendship medal, against him. It shouldn't have. Tillerson was not out of sync with Donald Trump's stated desire for a better relationship with Russia, but he was signalling that improved relations shouldn't come at any price.

Tillerson started out by volunteering that "While Russia seeks respect and relevance on the global stage, its recent activities have disregarded America's interest." Then, under questioning from senators, he said the annexation of Crimea was "a taking of territory that was not theirs"; that "coming across the border of eastern Ukraine with both military assets and men was illegal"; that he supports the Magnitsky Act, which sanctions Russian officials involved in human rights violations; that the Russian military action in Aleppo was "not acceptable behavior"; that Russia has a poor human rights record and doesn't adhere to the rule of law.