Meet Mr. Kislyak

Sergey Kislyak, at Trump's speech
before Congress this week

Sergey Kislyak, Russia's man in Washington (who gets people recused and fired and whose moving mouth causes widespread amnesia among Trumpsters), has been hanging around our nation's capitol for years. Kislyak (pronounced kees-LYACK), 66, is "jowly and cordial with an easy smile and fluent if accented English, yet a pugnacity in advocating Russia’s assertive policies."

He appears to be both wily old dog and just plain dog:

"Invited to think tanks to discuss arms control, he would invariably offer an unapologetic defense of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and assail Americans for what he portrayed as their hypocrisy — then afterward approach a debating partner to suggest dinner."

Sir Henry Wotton is famous for defining diplomats: "An ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country." Kislyak fits the bill. When asked during a speech at Stanford University about the Russian hacking of our election last year, Kislyak denied what we have since learned was indeed happening.

You want to believe that this affable gentleman, a great schmoozer who attends every major social and civic event in DeeCee, is not also an accomplished spy, funneling every tidbit of intel straight to Putin?

“He is very smart, very experienced, always well prepared,” said R. Nicholas Burns, a former under secretary of state who negotiated three Iran sanctions resolutions at the United Nations with Mr. Kislyak. “But he could be cynical, obstreperous and inflexible, and had a Soviet mentality. He was very aggressive toward the United States.”

At the Stanford University speech, 

When an audience member asked about Russian mistakes, he demurred. He said the most serious problem with the United States is that it believes it is exceptional. “The difference between your exceptionalism and ours is that we are not trying to impose on you ours, but you do not hesitate to impose on us yours,” he said. “That is something we do not appreciate.”

According to Neil MacFarquhar and Peter Baker (from whom the above quotes are taken), Kislyak expects to be replaced soon by "a hard-line general," and anyway, Washington has become a less friendly place lately. "He is surprised how people who once sought his company were now trying to stay away."