US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said there is a "low level of trust" between his country and Russian Federation following a meeting with Vladimir Putin.
And Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who was at this joint news conference, did his part to appeal to the Trump administration by blaming everything on the Obama administration, constantly saying that's why we're at this point.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday tried to clarify his administration's policy toward Syria after ordering missile strikes on a Syrian air base last week in response to a chemical attack.
He said working groups would be established to improve U.S.
Russia's veto of a United Nations resolution condemning a deadly chemical attack in Syria and pushing Bashar Assad's regime to co-operate with an worldwide inquiry put the country on the "wrong side" of the argument, the Foreign Secretary said.
More than 80 people were killed in what the USA has described as a nerve gas attack that Assad's forces undoubtedly carried out.
Tillerson reiterated the United States belief that Assad ordered the attack, though he stepped back from the U.S. charge that Russia was covering up Assad's culpability."With respect to Russia's complicity or knowledge of the chemical weapons attack, we have no firm information to indicate that there was any involvement by Russia, Russian forces into this attack", he said.
Tillerson said he and Putin agreed that in Syria, "we want to deny a safe haven for terrorists who want to attack both our countries", but they disagree on tactics.
Mr Tillerson also alleged the Syrian regime has used weapons such as chlorine bombs more than 50 times in the past. Putin said in an interview with state-run MIR television earlier Wednesday that relations with the USA had deteriorated. "I suggest you look at this vote very carefully and heed this warning", she added. "And I think it's very bad for Russian Federation", he said in and interview with Maria Bartiromo airing today on Fox Business Network.
Thousands march in Los Angeles to demand release of Trump tax returns
The issue of the president's no-show on his tax returns touches on a variety of accountability issues. If he DID release his tax returns I highly doubt that's enough to get him removed as President.
While this is their first official diplomatic meeting, Putin and Tillerson have a professional relationship going back to 1999, when Putin was appointed Prime Minister ahead of his first presidential term.
The meetings Wednesday "represent a continuation of our communications and discussions and dialogue that began in Bonn", Tillerson said, referring to a G-20 summit on February 16. when he met with Lavrov.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blasted USA claims that it has "irrefutable evidence" of election interference.
The tense back-and-forth over last week's deadly chemical attack in Syria has added to the strain. Such collaboration, he said, could help the two sides later address "more serious problems".
Mr Tillerson repeated the USA administration's belief that "the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end".
The two diplomats met after the White House declassified a report detailing evidence from USA intelligence and other sources on Tuesday that accused Putin of a cover-up meant to "confuse" and "obfuscate" on behalf of the Assad regime.
Trump, in the past, has called Assad "evil" and "an animal".
Lavrov also complained about the mixed messages coming out of Washington about the Trump administration's Syria policy: "I will be frank that we had a lot of questions regarding a lot of very ambiguous as well as contradictory ideas on a whole plethora of bilateral and global agenda coming from Washington".
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