U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson echoed that comment after meetings with Russian leaders in Moscow, saying that relations are at a low point with a low level of trust.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson battled to overcome differences with his Russian opposite number Wednesday, but they remained split over an alleged chemical attack in Syria after talks in Moscow.
The two leaders were expected to discuss disagreement about whether Syrian President Bashar Assad or his opposition was responsible for a chemical weapons attack last week that led to USA retaliatory cruise missiles.
The first visit to Moscow by a senior official of President Donald Trump's administration is taking place amid heightened tensions after the US accused the Assad government of a chemical-weapons attack in Idlib province.
Meanwhile Putin, who had an infamously icy relationship with President Barack Obama, said in an interview that U.S. - Russian relations have actually gotten worse since Trump took office.
In a sign that the Kremlin is not set to drop its firm support for Assad, Syria's foreign minister is set to jet in to Moscow for talks with Lavrov on Thursday before a three-way meeting involving Iran's top diplomat on Friday.
Vladimir Putin holds a joint news conference with the president of Moldova on January 17.
"We've agreed to establish a working group to address smaller issues and make progress towards stabilizing the relationship", Tillerson revealed.
"I think it's very bad for Russian Federation". "So far we haven't seen any, and I would like to stress once again: what we are doing in Syria, we are doing based on the request of a legitimate government that is a member of the United Nations... we are there to fight terrorism".
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Tillerson was greeted frostily in the Russian capital as Lavrov began their meeting Wednesday by demanding to know America's 'real intentions'.
In the UN Security Council, Russia vetoed a resolution by the U.S., France and Britain condemning Assad for his use of chemical weapons. Washington and Moscow are trading sharp accusations about a chemical weapons attack last week in Syria.
Washington says it acted to punish the Syrian government for what it said was a devastating nerve gas attack Damascus launched against its own people that killed scores. "We consider it of utmost importance to prevent the risks of replay of similar action in the future".
It was wrong to blame Assad without knowing the facts, he said. "That could happen, and it may not happen, It may be just the opposite", Trump said.
Earlier Wednesday, during a forum at The Newseum in Washington, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked about what could be on the table at a Putin-Tillerson meeting.
"There is a low level of trust between our two countries", he said.
"Frankly, Putin is backing a person that's truly an evil person", Trump said, alluding to Assad.
In his interview with Fox Business, Trump rebuked the Russian president for his continued support of Assad.
"I think there is a shared interest in defeating ISIS in the region that we have a national security concern that should align with their national security concern", he said.
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