Kissinger, Rice, Gates advising Trump on national security policy

© Reuters. Relations with Russia a key topic.

Investing.com - Investing.com - Former secretaries of state and defense of the U.S., Henry Kissinger, Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates, have been informally advising President-elect Donald J. Trump on foreign policy and national security strategy, with the goal of reframing American policy toward Russia, Investing.com has learned.

Trump had articulated the idea of reaching out to Russia during the presidential campaign, and met much criticism for the concept from the establishment in Washington D.C. and the opposition media in the U.S.

This was followed by hyperbolic reportage regarding Trump’s appointment of Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), as the next secretary of state, due to his business ties to Russia, and friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Kissinger has stated that it would be good for the international order if U.S.-Russian relations were better. "The long-term interests of both countries call for a world that transforms the contemporary turbulence and flux into a new equilibrium which is increasingly multi-polar and globalized," said Kissinger, who was secretary of state for President Nixon and President Ford, in a speech earlier this year.

"Russia should be perceived as an essential element of any new global equilibrium, not primarily as a threat to the United States.”

Kissinger’s consulting firm has advised Exxon in the past, as well as advised American Express (NYSE:AXP), Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE).

Trump’s transition team did not comment on the president-elect’s dealings with Kissinger, with whom he has met personally, at least one time, nor did it speak to his relationship with Rice or Gates.

Some reports indicate that the controversy over Trump’s recent remarks on U.S. nuclear capacity may be unfounded, according to press reports.

President Obama has pushed for the same kind of technology upgrade to the nuclear arsenal, but this was not understood at the time Trump made his remarks by reporters.

“For the next president to say ‘we’re going to have to systematically rebuild our nuclear capability’ is exactly right,” said Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in a TV interview on Sunday.