wait for itress and their big day. t is harder to be elon musk than tom cruise. instagram and uber, people have a them didn't just lucky break, the stories were coding rs and years of and engineering, they have qualifications that i can't even imagine. >> sunday night 8 eastern on c-span's q&a. >> "washington journal" continues. host: our next guest is the director of the russia and eurasia program at carnegie, rumer, thank you for being with us. i want to begin with recent essay talking about relations between the united states and specifically e between president trump and president putin. the challenge facing the trump administration is to skillfully manage, rather than permanently moscow, ension with

trying to appease putin will him he is winning, more confrontational approach would reason jit dangerous response will ussia, washington need to chart a middle path," what is that middle path? the middle path is the path of standing up for our core core values that have been gutting our foreign time, for a long, long but also cooperating with russia here necessary and working to diffuse the situation in a number of very, very tense lobal hot spots, one of course being in syria, in the skies iraq, the other of course is in europe, where we confrontation standoff between russia and nato seen since haven't war.nd of the cold

host: there is a piece from time magazine talking about the of people don't country thatout, a wants to join nato and there is a lot of reluctance from the trump administration to do just that, because president putin country that to make sure this remains e is one of the deepwater ports along the mediterranean. you have a country, i surmise in he middle of a dispute between the u.s. and russia and nato, about that for a moment? >> it's a tiny country, of course. host: as many people as san francisco. guest: yes. i would say to make sure this t the trump lk about administration policy on this set of issues because we haven't really heard a lot about what trump administration policy to be with respect to enlargement, with respect

to the balkans, it is unfair because it is early. montenegro wants to join nato, , nobody something that is having them join by force. not a force. russia has long been interested in the is happening balkans, looking to expand mediterraneans and the enlargement, with respe balkans and sees in montenegro a chance to establish foothold in the region. is geo political, quite frankly, of geo political tug of war. host: you also make more general eference to russia in your the t essay available on carnegie website by you and your colleagues. following putin's return to presidency in 2012, the regime retooled sources of legitimacy and fostered fortress the lity, globalizing public to defend russia against foreign adversaries the and moug

unrelenting surge for western-backed columnists. explain. yes.: so during the four years roughly prior to mr. putin's return to kremlin as president, he was prime minister of russia while, while the kremlin had a president. detante a period of between washington and moscow and president obama and the resident at the time pursued the reset in u.s.-russian relations, so that generated a inside f expectations professional class and people who generally are reform and nded for for changes domestically, politically and economically. putin decided to return to kremlin as president to retake all reigns of power, decision triggered

substantial significant protest those in remember winter of 2011 and 2012. obama administration at the time was critical of the way treated thevernment protesters, suppressed them with force rable force, real at times and prosecution of some protesters and that triggered a backlash in putin's mind, presumably, we haven't seen his mind, but based on his actions at the time, backlash against the west, a backlash against the liberal reforms that were somewhat cautiously pursued by the and then was followed by series of domestic to constrain eps the ability of that position to political age in life, greatly constrain ability f ngo's to pursue their

ctivities and really move the mentality of iege the west as hostile environment, source of alien values to democratic ng this ush that occurred during protest something subversive to values. host: you spent time with the staff. nsc advisor, who is replacing flynn, what do you think his approach will be to convey nd how will he that to the president? guest: my time on the nsc was 20 years ago, it's been a while. i had a chance to work with mcmaster earlier ncarnation, so to speak, he is

a very competent, very dedicated patriot and itrue he will bring policies recommended to the president by establishment,ity by the state department, department of defense, he will broker and he will provide that sound advice from in the ost officials administration. -- i find it reassuring. our guest is from the national intelligence council nd serves as trektor of the russia and eurasia program at carnegie endowment for international peace. lines are open. kevin joining from jackson, mississippi. waiting. for good morning. caller: hello. host: good morning, kevin. thanks for c-span.

rejlegitimate news is.e vladamir putin, i don't trust him at all. he and the president are friends apparently, he said he but they sureman, seem to get along. way they push nato around, president trump needs to step in. nato, but they krumia, and the not rn ukraine, that is right, i mean, that is sovereign country.

a response, et kevin, thank you. guest: i agree with the caller. ukraine triggered by russian action by the aexation kremi, and the undeclared war ukraine, stern something that appended not just post-cold war security europe, but n entire post-world war ii in europe. haven't seen a country in country,art of another ii e the end of world war and it is something that of the cores, basic principles of european we held and something dear for a long time. ont: your essay is available the foreign affairs website. decision f the moment o annex kremia transformed

landscape over night repelling putin to unprecedented levels of the arity and in syria, kremlin capitalized on intervention to highlight russia global prominence. guest: right. i think and my judgment and my colleagues and co-author this piece that the ecision to annex cremea, panicky move by the russian government when they saw the president, then president of the ukrainian moved in the hey only way that i think they could was of at the time and it obvious way for them to move substantial they had presence in cremea. they felt they have to do they were i think fearing and this is indication f their mentality, ukraine preceding toward membership in nato and european union, not for y to be the case

sometime because of ukraine's domestic difficulty and pressure on. russia and so , the unexpected result cremea was popular with the russian public, which the sense of nostalgia for the great power soviet union is strong and fuelled by official propaganda. result of the move, putin became more popular than he was and his popularity showed up to almost with russian public and in the aftermath and he sort of with it because it plays well with domestic politics know, projecting russian influence and presence in the middle east filtered the russian people through the propaganda machine s return by russia to great

legacy in the middle east as out inower and we poinlt the essay, he's made it his to the y to stand up united states and to assert expensegreatness at the of the united states. host: what were you born? moscow. host: bob next in springfield, virginia. line.ican caller: good morning, mr. rumer, mean to ask excessively complex set of questions, one internalhas to do with russian politics and the other externally. you may be one, familiar with the idea floated ago by kirk weldon about reaching out between u.s. trying tond duma, and establish another alternative line of communication and support. i would like you to comment on putin's en vladamir

absolute control and whether or not that relationship between is ress and the duma meaningful alternative? host: thank you, bob. dialogue between the two legislative branches, as well as between our nation in theory both represent the will respectively of the the russian le and people and especially in house representative where is our representatives are reelected every two years, they get to from constituents that reflect the will of the people seawater that political bodies have way of doing. the russian duma during the mr. putin's ars of time at the helm really have rubberstamp body of the

presidency. asi don't see it necessarily legitimate representative of the ill of the russian people and reflection of their views. so i'm quite skeptical because that, of the prospect of dialogue until such time things somewhat in russia and duma becomes more representative body. host: another part of what bob was saying from springfield, from your essay, you write vladamir putin is skilled forcing r capable of others to deal with him on his own terms. he stay as russian president? how long will he live? i think how long will he live, question.he e is now serving his third presidential term, which will 2018.

he's eligible under the current to serve nstitution for another six-year term, but signs, run for 2024.ection in 2018 to so one side comment on this, is that if mr. trump, president remains in office until 024, then this is the relationship that he will have with russian leader, there is be successor in that timeframe. point, russian politico elites have proven to and willing tole adapt the constitution to moment.ments of the i can imagine 2024, mr. putin 72 years old, ve about the same age roughly now,king as president trump and he could continue either as president or prime minister or

capacity. i think it will be determined at time, as he approaches the threshold, he's here for quite sometime. of the first part of his himselft, he has proven as very capable leader. he's been at the helm for 17 years now. he came out of virtually nowhere. he was an unknown when he to boris successor yelsen. he managed to remain at the helm hrough difficult times domestically in russia and he keeps coming back. don't write him off yet. ost: bill with eugene rumer, good morning. caller: good morning, steve. go morning, mr. rumer. do you think nato encroachment border of russia for ing used as leverage

arctic?that's in the guest: i don't think so, i think as idea began t in the mid-1990s and in my view to do with the oil under or anything else water and ice in the arctic. just stress that nato enlargement ornate nat expansion, as sometimes it is called is sometimes portrayed as has hing the united states expansion has design and i remember the 1990s was well and there considerable debate in this country as you may recall, the may recall, about nato enlargement, about commitment of the united states thinking at he time and the striking part

about it is the country of poland, hungary, omania, the czech republic, slova kia, wanted to join the lliance, not something the united states dragged them into. plainview, from texas, wallace, good morning. caller: good morning. guest: good morning. you're on the air, go ahead. caller: i'd like to make a comment. ahead.go ing in we have war go afghanistan, one going in iraq. into serbia.to get korea has not been settled and a war ll trying to start with russia. mccain.graham and john good day. guest: well, the caller is entitled to his point f view, that's the great thing

about c-span. i would disagree and i would the entire 25 or so year period of since the end war, break-up of the soviet union, success of the administration has tried to build a productive ustainable relationship with russia. ukraine an actions in really have put an end to trend. policy on of -- guiding and policy of our european allies of europe hold free at and its h itself neighbors envisioned russia as the pillars one of of european security and the crimea was the -- host: the caller's statement, further, go back to

essay with regard to nato and military activity. "the close encounters that nato aircraft and war ships have had with russian jets, no accident, part of deliberate kremlin trategy to intimidate moscow adversaries." guest: yes, we military activit. the close encounters that belit is part of -- host: ship off the coast of delaware that was there last week? uest: yes, showing the flag, signalling that we're here. atlantic.l across the united states,he are going to fly near our orders and we do because that and we our allies are conduct those air and sea perations in international waters but indeed close to borders of russia, then we, the going to get in your face and harass and don't xpect that this is just going

to be a free run for you. that is a way to signal to the way, an public, by the very tense time, that if they stick with the united states and nato, then they can have more crisis. there are greater time, that if they stickdangers to security and well being, it is and parcel of russia that tends to intimidate public the confidence among the public in nato security guarantees. rumer, do you still have family in moscow? guest: i do not. the russian think people consider themselves to be a super power? think the russian on that, i ivided think they certainly remember based on what we've seen and support for putin's policies, they remember the legacy and they do think russia is a great think they certainly remember

based on what power. they appreciate mr. putin's legacy of hat it.atness as he interprets so the answer is yes. essay we've been last 20 to the minutes, to read the full article along with his colleagues available on the last 20 endowment website at minutes, to read the full article along with his colleagues carnegieendowment.org. george, clarksville, tennessee, good morning, republican line. caller: good morning. in i was wondering, i know the past may have had something to do with something, but what religion play in these day?iety carnegieendowment.org. george, you.k guest: very interesting question. urge you to read a ecent essay by professor

gregory frees great expert on russian church, available free of church, available to all. has been definitely a revival in russia and russia is a multi-religious, multi-confessional society, there is muslim society, as well, russia is a multi-religious, an as other smaller denominations. a lot of talk in return of the influence of the orthodox church most important religious force in the life of russian society. government has been very solicited of the orthodox church, legitimizing force for its actions, but the church has

carved out some independent space, as well, so fair to say some people charged russian orthodox church the russian tool of state. and efinitely religion church do play a much bigger role in russian society and has the case for the past 25 years. host: can you add your to illuminateying what you know about the relationship between our state, rex exxon, president putin and russia? guest: i don't know much, beyond anything publicly available and exxon operated in russia excite successfully from what i exxon, president putin and russia? guest: i don't know much, beyond for a long time and been a profitable relationship for exxon. and tillerson and his capacity has spent entire professional exxon, understand, with in his capacity as senior c.e.o. of the

company. clearly, you know, was involved strategic decisions for xxon and russia and played leadership role there, so i anything frankly nafairuous if that is the right relationship because in russia, energy is critical, economy.sector of the host: also their main source of income. guest: a huge source of income, yes, just as an aside, decline recent years l in really hurt the russian economy ore than any sanctions the united states and the e.u. imposed on them. important is such an strategic industry for russia, the senior lled by most officials and including mr. putin himself. do business there in that sector, you have to deal with kremlin. with mr. putin.

don't think there is anything wrong with it, from the tandpoint of exxon, our companies do business across the world everywhere and have to deal with governments there. i don't see anything really about it. troubling you: with half a minute, do think russia influenced the u.s. election? guest: well, that is an mpossible question to answer, you need to analyze result of the election in way that is not possible now, but i do think tried. host: eugene rumer, trektor of for ussia eurasia prom carnegie endowment for international peace, thank you for being with us. guest: my pleasure. host: mr. rumer will stay with s, we will go to the house for a brief pro forma session, we'll of you are ome calls on the line for

and comments, live coverage on the program. the president will be speaking at cpac that gets underway in 40 minutes. a brief session, house calls and comments, live coverage on the program. and resident senate in recess for president's day, this is pro forma session, back in a minute or two. senate in

>> the chair will lead the house in the pledge of allegiance and nvite other necessary chamber to join me. aloo allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. >> mr. brady of texas, mr. -- of nunez of n and mr. california. the chair announces speaker for pursuant to

ection 4 of the united states commission act of 2016, public law 114-196, and the order of the house of commission act of 2017, following member on part of the house, the united states centennial commission. of pennsylvania, mr. aderholt of alabama, and from koch of ife, mr. jim newton, massachusetts, va le mcclay of norman, oklahoma and mrs. lynn young of rockdale, texas. > pursuant to section 3b of house resolution 123, the house monday, djourned until february 27, 2000 17, for orning hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business. host: congressman luke messer,

temporary chair of the speaker f the house for pro forma session. reminder that the president will be delivering a speech inside evening, er tuesday we'll have live coverage on the c-span network. ejoined by eugene rumer of carnegie endowment for international peace. tweets.e this is from jim, soviet union, who pledged to bury us, no to consider russia an enemy today. this from jesse who says the united states, why is everybody up in arms over donald trump's attempt to working relationship with the russians? two different takes. right. back to something i said in the beginning. it productive, have a sustainable relationship with russia, but, you know, russian number of has taken a teps that including ukraine,

including the escalation of tension in europe, including they conducted the campaign, military campaign in syria. make it difficult for us to just put that aside and say, let's begin a new. to the second tweet, it would be again, great o have that relationship, but the question for us really, i would prepare to put aside guided our at policy, not just since the end long cold war, but for a time. or we're not. and i think we're not. be.houldn't because just saying look, let's a t get along, it is not reliable policy. host: herbert from humble, texas, independent line. caller: yeah, i was wondering if utin learn anything from afghanistan, they are basically going broke. causes of leading

death in russia is alcoholism. vodka, 't even afford how much is it now? thank you. host: herbert? rubel rate to start with the last question, is about rubels to $1. pennies, if an two my math is correct. yes, i think they have learned from their experience in in, ofistan that resulted course, great tragedy for the people of afghanistan, more russians, y for the they lost a lot of their own here in a campaign, a war they didn't win. putin's competence avoided rship, he's major military entanglement in regional crisis. syria is int in elatively small, and he has

avoided putting large numbers of troops on the ground. air operations. they have conducted operations, 2008 against georgia, far smaller and weaker adversary and apply to ukraine. o yes, i think they are being careful in the wake of afghanistan, been almost a century, generation since then. ot to get involved in protractive, costly endeavors like that. a t: another tweet from viewer. no one is up in arms about having a working relationship russia, collaborate withing putin for political gain, question mark, yes. good tt, last call, morning. caller: good morning, mr. rumer, how are you this morning? you.: very well, thank caller: i had only one comment, but i have two since afghanistan up.brought if you know as much as i do,

most istan is one of the richest mineral field places on the earth. trillion tting on dollars or more of lithium and emeralds, i think afghanistan will be fine as soon they get the first order corrected and let the people in the money. my second comment is about rex tillerson and the exxon connection. i think pretty much everybody treated the on has united states and they kind of think of themselves as their own country, they have really no allegiance to, they what our xactly government asks them to do. pipeline or the 500 arctic deal that is sitting out at a stop by sanctions. russian peoplese

in the trump administration and i'd his stuff going on, like to know what you think done how rex tillerson has is business and how russia tied in to trump's association it go in how deep does how much is part of it and i'll off line.est host: thank you, scott, from north carolina. thank you., i think we have to be careful conclusions about future policies. he was the c.e.o. of exxon, and responsibilities, he's wearing a different hat and would encourage you to be open-minded to see how he acts as secretary of state and what in the t is going to be president's foreign national security policy. think word of

caution here is in order. ties to the trump administration, we don't know, here has been a lot of speculation and that is why i think thorough exploration the issue is of very much warranted. host: eugene rumer thank you for longer to take questions and calls from the viewers, russia eurasia at carnegie endowment for peace. appreciate your perspective, have a good weekend. couple headlines from "wall treet journal," the event that continues to get attention on friday morning. yesterday, steve bannon, senior to donald trump and top us, chief of staff, aides stand up to preach trump agenda to friendly crowd. "wall street journal." the "washington post," bannon presses issue of deconstruction, steve bannon in just a moment, along with priebus, we want tar