Michael Flynn’s resignation as the National Security Adviser to Donald Trump over his Russia contacts could reset the U.S. President’s attempts to reset ties with Moscow.
Mr. Flynn said in his resignation letter that he held numerous phone calls with foreign diplomats and officials in course of his duties as the incoming NSA. At the core of the controversy is whether or not Mr. Flynn told the Russian ambassador in Washington that Mr. Trump would reverse the new sanctions that Mr. Obama was imposing on Russia for allegedly interfering in the U.S. elections.
Democrats, critical of Mr. Trump’s overtures to Russia have seized the opportunity to attack the administration. John Conyers Jr and Elijah Cummings, senior members of the House committees, have demanded a classified briefing on the entire fiasco. “We were shocked and dismayed to learn this evening of reports that three weeks ago, U.S. law enforcement officials warned the White House Counsel that General Flynn had provided false information to the public about his communications with the Russian government, but that the Trump Administration apparently did nothing about it,” they said.
More worries
More challenging for Mr. Trump will be questions about the extent of his own knowledge of Mr. Flynn’s contacts with the Russian envoy. “Great move on delay (by V. Putin) — I always knew he was very smart!” Mr. Trump had tweeted on December 30, after Mr. Putin held back on retaliatory expulsion of American diplomats from Russia.
After initial news reports about the monitored phone calls, Vice-President Mike Pence and White House spokesperson Sean Spicer had defended Mr. Flynn. They said the conversations did not touch upon sanctions. Mr. Flynn and the Russian ambassador spoke several times during the transition, but in one conversation on December 29, 2016 — the day Mr. Obama announced new sanctions on Russia and ordered 35 Russian diplomats to leave the country — he apparently said the incoming administration would review the sanctions, according to fresh reports last week.
Not only that the new revelation put Mr. Flynn in a spot, but also triggered strife within the close circle of presidential advisers. With nobody willing to defend him any longer, Mr. Flynn put in his papers.
“Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice-President-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador,” he wrote. “I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology.” “In just three weeks,” Mr. Trump “has reoriented American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America’s leadership position in the world,” according to Mr. Flynn.
Democratic lawmakers and some commentators have said Mr. Flynn’s promise to the Russian ambassador to review the U.S. sanctions was in violation of the Logan Act that forbids any private U.S. citizen from conducting foreign policy.
Published - February 14, 2017 11:24 pm IST
