The committee will come to order. Thank you all for coming today and to the witnesses for joining us today as we examine the current state of the u. S. Russia relationship and the strategy to deal with the Russian Federation. Its timely to assess the relationship with russia and as weve recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the events that led to the collapse of the soviet union, the fall of the berlin wall, solidarity, selection, victory in poland and the baltic demonstrations among others. Many former soviet states had become prosperous democracies with memberships in nato and the eu. Mr. Putin has taken russia down a much darker path. Today Many Russians suffer with oligarchs enriching themselves to control the major industries. Russia rates its elections to ensure onlensure a week from und politician speak the cut. Russia is targeted and expelled humanitarian organizations and three Media Outlets labeling them as foreign agents. The russian people are in humanity imprisoned and tortured for disagreeing with the government. Not only does the Russian Federation make life at home painful for the average russian, but putin is also making life hard for people around the world. Hes met with an american and european elections s selling political chaos. Hes pumped up the murderous regime of the president and sells arms to human rights abusers in africa and Missile Defense systems to u. S. Allies and adversaries alike. And in venezuela, he continues to hang on to power as people suffer thanks in large part to the russian assistance. Of course we all know about the invasions of georgia and ukraine over the years, and about the place and planting of russian people in london on other sovereign soil. The world today is more dangerous and less free because of the Russian Federation. As a result the u. S. Relationship with russia is at a low point during the height of the cold war, our leaders have a lifeline to ensure that neither side made a disastrous this population, the famous red phone. Today our engagement with russia are few, and there is a growing risk of a strategic miscalculation on the seas, the ground or in the skies. To be clear, our problems are with putin and his cronies. Today the u. S. And allies have been a beatup on the regime. Since 2014, weve imposed sanctions on dozens of russian nationals and companies that have been involved in the illegal takeover of creamy, the war in the east of ukraine, the downing of the flight mh 17 as well as human rights abuses in russia. In 2018 after russia used chemical weapons on the territory of a nato ally, the close to russian consulate and helped coordinate a 20 country expulsion of russian spies. The u. S. Now locates troops through poland and through the enhanced forward presence nato has stationed crew to get good troops and all text in americas provided lethal weapons to help ukraine defended itself from russian separatists. Each of the sanctions is important to counter the maligned global influence. However, they do not form a cohesive u. S. Strategy. To successfully do towar succese aggression, america including Congress Must think strategically about russia now and in the future. I encourage these witnesses to discuss administrations strategy towards russia and what it is intended to accomplish. But i must also urge caution to the administration and congress about focusing our strategy on sanctions that are not a strategy for dealing with russia. They are simply a tool. While the less financial preeminence makes sanctions easy and somewhat effective tools i have serious concerns about the consequences and over used particularly in the absence of a larger strategy. More sanctions dont necessarily make us tougher on russia and i am concerned about the russian sanction in the absence of concrete policy goals. The bill from senator cruise and senator shaheen i was a well targeted sanctions bill with a clear policy goal in mind. But the word general sanctions actions were not connected to the specific goals can be counterproductive. Sanctions not done in coordination with our allies who are far closer to russia in both distance and connectivity is a dangerous action that can undermine our alliances. And in some cases when the insufficiently vetted sanctions have been inadvertently helped to advance the goals of economic consultation and reinvigoration of the russian industry, these cannot be the outcomes we want. I assume these are outcomes we actually opposed. With that i will yield to senator menendez. Thank you mr. Chairman and thank you for calling this very important hearing which we have been seeking. Secretaries, thank you for joining us today to talk about the administrations policy with respect to the Russian Federation. Before we hear from our witnesses, i would like to outline five essential elements but i believe should comprise our policy on the Russian Federation. First, we must make it very clear that so many examples of kremlin aggression since the invasion of georgia in 2008 are simply unacceptable and cannot become the norm in international affairs. The infusion of ukraine, illegal occupation of crimea, the attempted assassination of the opponents of chemical weapons on foreign soil, to committing war crimes in syria, the attack on the 2,016th elections, these are just some. Its clearly not a country that belongs in the g7, despite whatever President Trump might be the. It is still mystifying President Trump refuses to stand up to this behavior. To this day he says that the kremlin attack on our election was a hoax repeating lies from the kremlin propaganda, he says that it was ukraine have but acy interfering with elections. During the cold war, those who unwittingly broadcast propaganda were called, quote, useful idiots. I dont know what you call those today in the administration argued in congress who knowingly spout kremlin lies. Whatever this guy does a lot of damage. Second, we must implement a clear sanctions regime to change the kremlin behavior. Sanctions on russi russia todaye clearly not have the desired effect. Why . Because the administration hasnt been serious in their implementation. Several mandatory provisions of this day still the ignored. I wont go through the whole list although i could. Other than to point out the most egregious example. Its been 144 days since turkey took the delivery of the russian s. 400 air defense system. Clearly a significant transaction under. And just last week, turkey tested the system against an american produced at 16. An american produced f16. Enough is enough. Cap the sanctions must be imposed without further delay. Any new russian sanctions legislation must make clear the ultimate policy goals what kind of behavior we are trying to change and how sanctions can be lifted in the event that the behavioral change takes place. To increase pressure on moscow we must also be honest that it could have other effects. Under the enhanced sanctions regime that Companies May no longer be able to benefit from the russian economy. American investors may no longer benefit from the russian sovereign debt market. The Energy Market may be impacted in the Banking Sector could be impacted. Of course we seek to minimize these effects, but the ultimate measure must always be howe continued kremlin aggression and facts our National Security. At the end of the day, that is the ultimate measure that matters. Third, on arms control. The negative consequences for the United States of abandoning the new start when russia is in compliance with the treaty into seeking to extend it would be grave in the short and longterm. Without this in place, russia would be able to upload hundreds of Nuclear Weapons onto its current Strategic Nuclear platforms. This rapid expansion of russias Strategic Nuclear arsenal would please the United States at a strategic disadvantage necessitating a fundamental reconsideration of our force posture. I look forward to hearing your views on this today. But, we need to remember the plight of the russian people who continue to live under these endemic corruption and relentless propaganda. The administration has strayed far from the traditional support for the democratic process and human rights and universal values. These must be at the center of u. S. Policy especially with respect to russia. Fifth, we need to support our friends in europe especially those on the front line of russian aggression. European Veterans Initiative funding should be increased. Recently the administration decided to redirect the money to the president s border wall. So, instead of mexico paying for the wall as the president promised, our closest allies in europe will bear the cost. What a deal. Finally, i want to close on a note about the american citizen whos been detained in russia since last december. If the russian authorities have evidence, they should charge them. I for 1 a. M. Skeptical such evidence exists and if they dont, they should let him go. In closing, mr. Chairman, i am under no illusion that he shares my views on these women of the policy. Hes abdicated responsibility for defending the country from the threats posed in the federation and simply is not either interested or compromised. We in Congress Need to step up to defend our security and our institutions and next week i look forward to working with you and others on the committee for the legislation towards that end. Thank you senator menendez. We will now turn to the witnesses. First of all we will hear from david hale has been the ambassador to pakistan, lebanon and georgia as well as the special envoy for the middle east peace. In washington deput washington t secretary of state for israel, egypt and the director for israel palestinian affairs. He held several staff posts including executive assistant to the secretary of state albright, member since 1984 and was the rank of the career ambassador and a native of senator menendezs home state of new jersey. Ambassador, please the floor is yours. Yours. Hispanic mr. Chairman that is why hes such hi such in and dee exceptional public servant. Hispanic thank you for that and good morning chairman and Ranking Member menendez and members of the committee. I welcomed the opportunity to be today with the assistant secretary to discuss u. S. Policy towards russia. Under President Trump the United States has taken consistent action against moscows attempts to undermine american interests and those of our allies and partners around the world. The United States will continue to use all of the appropriate tools of financial power including diplomacy to address in future any further such threatening actions from moscow and to advance and protect the interest of america and our partners as they relate to russia. As articulated in the president S National Security strategy, americ america is in e period of Great Power Competition and we must structure the policies accordingly. The administrations policy takes a realistic approach. Russia is a determined and resourced competitodeterminate s although one with significant weaknesses those weaknesses hinder its ambitions. We do not seek an adversarial relationship with russia. We are open to cooperation with moscow when it aligns with our interests. But this administration will protect our National Security and that of our allies the moscow attempts to threaten them. To be effective american diplomacy towards russia must be backed by military power. Second to none and fully integrated with our allies in all of our instruments of power to be the administration has increased Defense Budget to 716 billion in fy 19 and prioritized nucleaprioritized cr shortterm investments to maintain a robust nuclear deterrent. Russias systemic weaknesses are reflectereflected in the aggrese Foreign Policy which has driven in part by insecurity and a fear of internal change. This oligarch regime replies to stifle the public discontent as illustrated by its harsh response to this protest, the largest since 2011. The russian people increasingly realized that the corrupt regime is either incapable of addressing their problems or in many cases as the source of them. Russia seeks to dominate its immediate neighborhood into ukraine they must end its belligerence and implement its agreement obligations and encouraged by the positive steps ukrainian president has taken to resolve the russia instigated conflict in Eastern Ukraine bus far we are disappointed by moscows response. The threats on russia are not just an external or military one. Moscow utilizes Digital Technologies to target us and our democratic allies from within. Within. These actions include election meddling and well resourced influence operations directed by the highest levels of the russian government and the very heart of the western world. We provide significant foreign assistance in europe and eurasia and almost all of which support the building of resilience to and increasing pressure on the russian wind influences and in accordance with accounting russian influence fund. The department has also increased its support for the Global Engagement center and additional funding and staffing. We have degraded the ability to conduct aggression by imposing costs on the russian state and the oligarchy that sustains it. The administration sanctioned 321 russia related individuals and entities since january of 2017. The sanctions and related actions serve as a warning to the russian government that we will not tolerate any activity aimed at undermining our manipulating the 2020 election. I confronted the deputy minister and russian interference in our elections in july and have raised the matter with the Russian Ambassador several times and weve likewise taken action against the diplomatic presence in america and in response to the imposition of the staffing tap on the diplomatic personnel in russia we closed the facilities when russia attacked the citizens with a military grade we closed the facilities and expelled 48 russian intelligence officials from the russian embassy. Our diplomats counter these other regions including the middle east, south america and africa where the actions exacerbated stability and undermined u. S. Interest. In survey oinsignia of the milit to the regime and attacks against civilians have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and in venezuela we are pressing russia to withdraw its diplomatic military and economic support for the former regime. In africa we have called up the destabilizing policies including support for the mercenaries. Russias disregard for its interNational Security and arms control commitments represents another significant challenge for the policy. Therefore, th the president has trudged us to pursue the new era of arms control agreements. We know that congress has a Critical Role to play in providing the tools and resources to implement the strategy. We are committed to working with you in this regard. Mr. Chairman thank you again for inviting me today and i look forward to the questions of the committee. Hispanic thank you, ambassador. We now have doctor Christopher Ford assistant secretary for interNational Security and nonproliferation where hes alss also invalidatehes alsobeen upd functions of the office of the undersecretary for arms control and interNational Security. He previously served as the senior director for weapons of mass destruction and counter proliferation at the National Security council. He began his Public Service in 1996 as the assistant counsel to the intelligence Oversight Board and conservative several congressional staff. He served as the principal secretary and the state Departments Bureau of the verification and compliance and as the u. S. Special representative for nonproliferation from 2008 to 2013 he was the senior fellow at the hudson institute. A native of cincinnati, author of three books and hold a doctorate and a law degree. Welcome, the floor is yours. Thank you. Ranking members of the committee for having us here. In the remarks, the undersecretary has a strategy to approach the challenges that russia presents us with today. In my own testimony i would like to address the questions from the perspective where i am exercising delegated authority as you mentioned. I will appreciate my remarks for delivery and would request that the full version be entered into the record. Thank you, sir. From the perspective of arms control and the ongoing challenges of managing the relationship and strategic sense with moscow i think that its important to remember that we can do all of these tasks out of a long background of not just of tension in the problems but also with some notable successes over time. The changes in the environment that word on occasion be the end of the cold war made possible an enormous attack on the strategic arms reduction that has seen both countries Nuclear Arsenals come down to two small fractions of what they once were. I mention this because i think that its important to remember this background. It reminds us that it is possible to make progress in reducing the Nuclear Sanctions and the intensity of the strategic standoff when the circumstances of the security environment or conducive to such and we hope to get back to such an envir