Amid rising tensions over Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wrapped up a visit to Moscow on Wednesday that included meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin.
Tillerson met President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for discussions that were meant to tackle, primarily, the fight against Daesh and safe zones, but that were consumed by the chemical attack in Syria.
Tillerson again said the USA has "conclusive" evidence Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime planned and carried out a chemical attack on its civilians last week. "The world's two foremost nuclear powers can not have this kind of relationship", he said in the news conference, adding that Moscow and Washington had agreed to establish a working group to identify problems and improve bilateral relations.
He said the two sides would also discuss disagreements on Syria and how to end the country's six-year civil war.
Trump defended his decision to launch a barrage of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase in response to the attack, which the us has said was ordered by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
While the USA has put responsibility for the attack that killed more than 80 people squarely with Assad, Russia believes it was the work of terrorists, with Putin claiming more chemical attacks are on the way in Syria created to frame the Assad regime.
He today said Russian Federation "certainly could have" known about the chemical attack before it was launched last week, but added he'd like to think Vladimir Putin's government were not forewarned.
France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said "with this attack, the Syrian regime has plumbed new depths of horror".
Tillerson avoided giving specific details of how Assad would leave power, saying, "We leave that to the process going forward". This team has already found Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants used mustard gas.
Until the chemical attack, the Trump administration had sought to step back from the United States position that Assad should leave power.
Uber Central For Businesses Has Been Launched
After that, they can request a ride from Uber's menu of services, or save the data as a draft for easier use later. Roadside assistance provider Agero offered rides to customers whose cars needed to be taken into the shop.
"It'd be a fantastic thing if we got along with Putin and if we got along with Russia, " Trump said.
Russia's deputy United Nations envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, said the draft resolution laid blame prior to an independent investigation.
Asked if the meeting at the Kremlin marked any positive change, Peskov said: "Too early yet".
Tillerson said, "The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end".
Jens Stoltenberg, who heads up the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance, said that "any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable. those accountable must be held responsible".
But also, the U.S. feels right now that it has made the case that Russian support for Assad must end.
Moscow rejected calls by the USA to withdraw support for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Trump had frequently called during the 2016 USA presidential election campaign for warmer ties with Putin, despite criticism from lawmakers in his own Republican Party.
"It would be wonderful, as we were discussing just a little while ago, if North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and our country could get along with Russia", Trump said.
Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson met with Vladimir Putin in Russian Federation. It denied preferring Trump to his Democrat rival, Hillary Clinton, during the election campaign and said it would judge his administration by its actions rather than its words. I think if we can get together with the Russians they have a real interest in moving away from Assad as well.
Comments