Interactions with Kislyak and Foreign Policy Shift – Volume 1 (123-127) The Mueller Report
Sergey Kislyak-Former Russian Ambassador to US
“In July 2016, Senator [Jeff] Sessions and [Campaign Adviser, J.D.] Gordon spoke at the Global Partners in Diplomacy event, a conference co-sponsored by the State Department and the Heritage Foundation held in Cleveland, Ohio the same week as the Republican National Convention (RNC or “Convention”). Approximately 80 foreign ambassadors to the United States, including Kislyak, were invited to the conference” (p. 123).
“On July 20, 2016, Gordon and Sessions delivered their speeches at the conference. In his speech, Gordon stated in pertinent part that the United States should have better relations with Russia. During Sessions’s speech, he took questions from the audience, one of which may have been asked by Kislyak. When the speeches concluded , several ambassadors lined up to greet the speakers. Gordon shook hands with Kislyak and reiterated that he had meant what he said in the speech about improving U.S.-Russia relations. Sessions separately spoke with between six and 12 ambassadors, including Kislyak. Although Sessions stated during interviews with the Office that he had no specific recollection of what he discussed with Kislyak, he believed that the two spoke for only a few minutes and that they would have exchanged pleasantries and said some things about U.S.-Russia relations. Later that evening, Gordon attended a reception as part of the conference. Gordon ran into Kislyak as the two prepared plates of food, and they decided to sit at the same table to eat. They were joined at that table by the ambassadors from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, and by Trump Campaign advisor Carter Page. As they ate, Gordon and Kislyak talked for what Gordon estimated to have been three to five minutes , during which Gordon again mentioned that he meant what he said in his speech about improving U.S.-Russia relations” (p. 123).
“On July 11, 2016, delegate Diana Denman submitted a proposed platform amendment that included provision of armed support for Ukraine. The amendment described Russia’s “on going military aggression” in Ukraine and announced “support” for “maintaining (and, if warranted, increasing) sanctions against Russia until Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored” and for “providing lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine ‘s armed forces and greater coordination with NATO on defense planning.” Gordon reviewed the proposed platform changes, including Denman’s. Gordon stated that he flagged this amendment because of Trump’s stated position on Ukraine, which Gordon personally heard the candidate say at the March foreign policy meeting-namely, that the Europeans should take primary responsibility for any assistance to Ukraine, that there should be improved U.S.-Russia relations, and that he did not want to start World War III over that region. Gordon told the Office that Trump’s statements on the campaign trail following the March meeting underscored those positions to the point where Gordon felt obliged to object to the proposed platform change and seek its dilution” (p. 125).
“When the amendment came up again in the committee’s proceedings , the subcommittee changed the amendment by striking the “lethal defense weapons” language and replacing it with “appropriate assistance.” Gordon stated that he and the subcommittee co-chair ultimately agreed to replace the language about armed assistance with “appropriate assistance.” The subcommittee accordingly approved Denman’s amendment but with the term “appropriate assistance.” Gordon stated that, to his recollection, this was the only change sought by the Campaign. Sam Clovis, the Campaign’s national co-chair and chief policy advisor, stated he was surprised by the change and did not believe it was in line with Trump’s stance. [John] Mashburn, [Trump administration official,] stated that when he saw the word “appropriate assistance,” he believed that Gordon had violated Mashburn’s directive not to intervene” (p. 126-127).