Newly confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his first public remarks as the nation's top diplomat, emphasized the importance of NATO as a counterforce to Russia's ongoing aggression during a meeting of NATO Foreign ministers in Brussels Friday.
"In light of Russia's unacceptable actions, NATO is more indispensable than ever," Pompeo said. "As our allies agree, the use of military-grade nerve agent developed by Russia on U.K. territory was a reckless action that put the lives of innocent civilians at risk."
"NATO should not return to business as usual with Russia until Moscow shows a clear change in its actions," he added.
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke out similarly against Russia just before President Trump fired him via tweet last month.
“From Ukraine to Syria — and now the [United Kingdom] — Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens,” Tillerson said in early March.
CNN:
The meeting marks Pompeo's first full day on the job. The Senate confirmed his nomination to become secretary of state on Thursday, paving the way for him to embark on a trip that will include stops in Brussels, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan.
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Pompeo's comments on Russia are particularly notable as President Donald Trump has often soft-pedaled criticism of the country and its President, Vladimir Putin, despite US intelligence assessments that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Trump said last year that he believes Putin's assertion that Russia did not meddle in the election.
Trump did, however, directly criticize Putin earlier this month for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the wake of a chemical attack in Syria.
The US intelligence community has concluded that Putin ordered an "influence campaign" in 2016 with the goal of sowing distrust in the American democratic process and hurting Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the presidency.
Pompeo: NATO 'more indispensable than ever' in light of Russia threat (The Hill)
At NATO meeting, Pompeo agrees to combat Russian aggression (CNN)