US President Donald Trump intends to create the post of special envoy for arms control and offers Marshall Billingsley to this position, the press service of the White House.

"The President intends to appoint ... Marshall Billingsley to the post of Presidential Special Representative for Arms Control, created in the structure of the State Department," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a statement has already appeared on the website of the State Department, which says about the appointment of Billingsley to the corresponding post.

“President Trump has set his administration the task of opening a new chapter by striving to enter a new era of arms control, in which it will be possible to go beyond the framework of bilateral treaties of the past. The appointment of Marshall Billingsley confirms the commitment to this matter, ”the report says.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also responded to the personnel changes.

“I am glad to welcome Marshall Billingsley as our President’s Special Envoy for Arms Control to our team. The experience gained by Marshall in the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defense, as well as in the private sector will provide him with valuable help to work in this new and important post, ”Pompeo wrote on his Twitter page.

Controversial candidacy

It is worth noting that until now, Billingsley served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Previously, he already worked in the State Department, as well as the Pentagon, NATO structures, the apparatus of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the private sector.

While working for the United States Department of Defense from 2002 to 2003, Billingsley monitored prison conditions at Guantanamo Prison. Moreover, according to a Senate report from 2008, Billingsley in this position was related to the use of interrogation techniques, which were later recognized as torture.

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It is precisely this fact of Billingsley’s biography that focused a high-ranking Democrat in the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, criticizing his appointment as president’s special envoy for arms control.

“Mr. Billingsley has a difficult history of interacting with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. After his failed nomination for the Department of State’s key position in human rights (Billingsley was appointed deputy secretary of state for civil security, democracy and human rights. - RT ), serious questions remain about whether he was frank and truthful when he testified in committee about his role in the scandal involving torture of detainees during the Bush administration (Jr. - RT ). Billingsley further aggravated the situation by refusing to even answer any additional questions that I and other senators asked after the hearing on his candidacy on September 19, 2019, ”Menendez said.

According to him, Billingsley is not the person who “should be entrusted” with US nuclear diplomacy.

“If the administration really seriously seeks to effectively solve problems in the field of arms control, then let it change its course as soon as possible to unoccupied, high and critical posts in the Department of State related to arms control issues and nominate qualified applicants,” - says Menendez.

From his point of view, Billingsley’s new appointment is a “monstrous decision” that “visually reflects” the readiness of the current administration “to circumvent the provisions of the Constitution on the role of the Senate, according to which appointments are made following consultations with him and with his consent.” The politician also pointed to the "haphazard and frivolous attitude to nuclear diplomacy" by the White House.

Analysts agree that it was Trump who chose Billingsley as his special representative for arms control, despite the scandal surrounding the torture of prisoners in Guantanamo, because he was "sure of his loyalty."

“It is important for the head of the White House that a new person in a new post implement his ideas and instructions, and not engage in independent politics. In addition, this appointment is further evidence that Trump is experiencing serious staffing difficulties that prevent him from proceeding solely from the professional qualities of the candidates when they are appointed to their posts, ”said the director of the US Roosevelt Study Foundation at Moscow State University Yuri Rogulev.

"Showy step"

Experts also emphasize that the creation of the post of special envoy for arms control and the appointment of Marshall Billingsley, the head of the White House wants to demonstrate that he is concerned about the extension of the only remaining strategic arms control treaty with Russia - START III, which expires in February 2021. .

At the same time, Washington has not yet announced its intentions regarding the relevant agreement. Instead, the American side is setting the stage for a new treaty to replace START III. In particular, the White House is proposing to bring China to the negotiations as well, although Beijing has repeatedly stated that they are not interested in this. Another requirement of the United States is to include advanced Russian weapons in the new treaty, including the Poseidon nuclear-powered submarine.

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  • © Kyla Gifford / US Air Force Photo / Handout

However, according to Yuri Rogulev, the personnel decisions of the American leader in this area are just a “show step”.

"In fact, now Trump is most concerned about the situation with the spread of coronavirus infection, and the new appointment is intended to show that the United States is working on a solution around the extension of the agreement with Russia," Rogulev says.

The expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Research Vladimir Bruter agrees with him. In his opinion, Trumps really needs Trump in the first place in order to “imitate some kind of activity” in the situation around START III.

“At this stage, the head of the White House cannot clearly state his final decision, therefore, he is now appointing a special representative who on his behalf will repeat all the same requirements to Russia and China, but maybe in a slightly different format, or just do the view that he is actively acting on the issue of START III extension, ”Bruter explained in an interview with RT.

Moreover, according to him, the appointment of such a candidate indicates that the head of the White House does not plan to change the tone of negotiations on START III.

“This is also evidenced by recent statements by the American side, including the desire to connect China. Washington intends to advance its conditions, including to push through the idea of ​​limiting new Russian systems ... For some reason, Americans believe that they have the right to decide individually which Russian weapons are to be reduced and which aren’t, ”the analyst noted.

Beijing will either not respond to these proposals at all or will refuse again, Bruter predicts.

“And in the end, the US will say that they tried to attract the PRC to the dialogue, but nothing came of it, since China is against. Therefore, Billingsley’s appointment is a bureaucratic measure rather than a political decision, ”the analyst said.

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At the same time, Yuri Rogulev emphasizes that the requirements of the American side do not correlate with the extension of START III.

“The extension of the treaty is incompatible with joining the negotiations in China, since START III is a bilateral agreement. The same applies to the requirements of the American side to take into account the latest Russian weapons, which do not appear in the text of the current document. And if the text is changed, it will have to be approved again, and this has nothing to do with the extension, ”said Rogulev.

Vladimir Bruter, in turn, believes that the chances of extending START III until early June are minimal. However, in the three summer months the situation may become clearer, the analyst believes.

“Trump’s final decision will depend on the course of the presidential campaign. If he is confident in his victory, he will continue to pull with prolongation. However, if the current head of the White House starts to lose, it is quite possible that he will take some drastic steps. The situation in the USA after the end of the coronavirus epidemic will also play an important role, ”the expert concluded.