Relationships between the United States and Russia are at an "all-time low," Jon Huntsman, the newly confirmed U.S. ambassador to Russia, said in an interview Friday with his daughter, Fox News' Abby Huntsman.
"You have to understand that there is a political track that people read about in the newspapers on a regular basis that will play out as it will," Huntsman, a former presidential candidate, said in the interview airing on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "We [have] found ourselves on the same page of certain issues before. But today, the relationships are at an all-time low. I just have to be very frank about that."
Huntsman, who also has served as the U.S. ambassador to China, said he accepted the new post because "service is the price you pay for citizenship in the greatest country in the world."
Huntsman has had several meetings with President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Defense Secretary James Mattis, and described each as a "problem solver."
"You are surrounded by people who understand the realities inherent in a difficult U.S.-Russia relationship," said Huntsman.
His daughter pointed out that in Russia, more than 700 State Department employees have been sent back to the United States.
"It's really unfortunate that the Russians made the decision that they did, to substantially cut our diplomatic presence in Russia," said Huntsman. "We all know that we are facing difficult times, probably the most difficult period in the relationship since the end of the Cold War. This is a little bit like 1986 all over again where we went through the same kind of tit-for-tat which serves really no purpose at all."
Huntsman said he thinks his greatest challenge will be in showing there can be results achieved in the relationship between the United States and Russia that are good for the people of both countries.
"The last thing I want to tell the president or the secretary of state or the secretary of defense in the months and years ahead is 'we did our very best, sir, but we didn't get anywhere,'" said Huntsman. "I think the taxpayers expect more than that."
The new ambassador said he also does not believe the people of the United States are losing their commitment to service.
"I think we are still the greatest country on the face of the Earth when it comes to our commitment to service, our volunteer spirit," he said. "Show me another country in the world that turns out during a time of need where neighbors are helping neighbors and friends are helping friends. It's hard to even talk about."
Huntsman also said he does not think the United States is weak today, but instead is stronger.
"We have our divides," he said. "We have the issues that polarize people, but we also have some central strengths."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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