During my recent trip to Russia, I met with former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, who worked together with Ronald Reagan to lessen nuclear tensions and to restore ties with the west.
Gorbachev knows firsthand the critical necessity of engagement. Gorbachev emphasized that the United States and Russia still have unresolved issues in reducing nuclear arms that require dialogue.
These are certainly positive developments, building upon President Donald Trump’s foreign policy strategy of open dialogue, yet there are still loud partisan voices opposing any dialogue and seeking to diplomatically isolate America.
Even before my trip, the hawks from both sides of the aisle were out in full force. The fact that partisans would rather risk war than give diplomacy a chance, all because of their hatred for the president, is absolutely ridiculous.
When it comes to Trump and Russia, playing politics and taking down his supporters is far easier than admitting that the open dialogue the president is pursuing is a good thing.
While everyone has been so hell-bent on making anything Russia-related about their hatred of the president, they’ve lost sight of the bigger picture, especially on protecting the integrity of our elections.
Nobody is excusing Russia’s meddling in our elections. I made that loud and clear in my official meetings in Russia. But we cannot and should not allow our differences to prevent open dialogue.
We can work to protect the integrity of our elections while also engaging with our adversaries to find common ground and help prevent further, unnecessary escalation of tensions. The future of our country depends on it.