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Foreign Policy Update

MIDDLE EAST

In a recent press conference Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed America’s leadership role in the role and how it has evolved under the Trump Administration.  He said Americans live in a “complicated world, dangerous world.” He pointed out that America is no longer leading from behind, but also recognized the United States can’t be everywhere and do all things. He added that “We’re doing it right; we’re doing it well.

The work that Vice President Pence did in Ankara trying to stop the Turkish incursion was “truly lifesaving,” he pointed out. Pompeo said the complexity of the Middle East is even greater. Although the caliphate is no longer, he said “We still have threats from terrorism all around the world, not just in the Middle East, in Asia too.”

The mission at the State Department is to “deliver against President Trump’s priorities, to make sure that we’re doing this right in the true American tradition of diplomacy, and to keep the American people safe and secure,” according to Pompeo. He added that if they do their jobs well, “we’ll have to put fewer young men and women in harm’s way in the military, and we reduce the risk to our people back home, and we can continue to do the things we love to do in places like here in Kansas and take care of our families, grow our economy, all the things that Americans value.”

UKRAINE

“This is a results-based administration. This is about realism. It’s about being practical. It’s about delivering on real outcomes to keep the American people safe. Our interest in Ukraine has consistently been aimed at the singular focus of what’s in America’s best interest – that is, how do we get the outcome that keeps the American people safe,” according to Pompeo. Washington views a strong Ukraine, that is less corrupt and less under the influence of Russia’s Putin will be more secure for the Ukrainian people. And that it will help Europe in that it pushes back against the threats that are from Russia.

TURKEY

Asked if he was comfortable with the President lifting sanctions against Turkey a day after Erdogan met with Russian President Putin, Pompeo said “Yes. I recommended that to the President.”  

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Vice President Pence had led a delegation along with Pompeo to meet with President Erdogan and explain to the Turkish leader that the President was “very unhappy that he had conducted an incursion into Syria.” Pompeo added that “We wanted to stop that incursion to save lives. We did that. We set up a five-day pause so that we could extract SDF fighters safely, they wouldn’t be killed as they moved back. We were largely successful in doing that.”

The Turks did halt their Operation Peace Spring which has allowed for the initiation of a permanent ceasefire phase which Washington plans to monitor. US sanctions were put in place to convince the Turkish leadership that it was in their best interest to halt that operation, to stop the death, to stop the killing that would have taken place, according to Pompeo.

VENEZUELA

Venezuela recently was given a seat on the UH Human Rights Commission to the disbelief of many member countries. Secretary Pompeo commented that “this is untethered to anything, left, right, center, and America would understand as decent and right and protecting human dignity. If you observe what’s going on in Venezuela today, you can see that it’s the antithesis of the protection of individual liberty and freedom and the rights that we all know.” The Maduro regime has long abused the citizens of Venezuela and illegally attempted to retain power. The resulting economic decay in the country and abuse has led millions of Venezuela’s citizens to seek refuge in other nations.

DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government.  Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.

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