Russian Federation relations at ‘may be at an all-time low,’ Trump says

But Trump did not seem to change in his assessment of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Trump has spoken of admiringly in the past. “And we have to find ways to live with them and to try and avoid a new Cold War, a new arms race”, he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even calls the U.S. response “unlawful” – when the war crime of intentionally bombing hospitals has been one of Russia’s signature tactics in Syria.

Russia’s alleged meddling in the USA presidential election also hovered over what was the first face-to-face encounter between Putin and any Trump administration Cabinet member.

On the eve of the talks, far from trying to calm tempers, both sides escalated their rhetoric as the United States tried to prise Moscow and Damascus apart.

Before the April 4 chemical weapons attack, both Tillerson and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that removing Assad from power was not a priority for the U.S.

“You can say that the level of trust on a working level, especially on the military side, has not improved but most likely worsened”, Putin said in the transcript of an interview with Mir television released by the Kremlin. It shouldn’t be allowed. The resolution also calls on the Syrian government to cooperate fully with the worldwide investigators, including by providing them with “flight plans, flight logs, and any other information on air operations, including all flight plans or flight logs filed on April 4 2017”.

Russian Federation blocked a Western effort at the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to condemn the gas attack and push Assad to cooperate with worldwide inquiries into the incident. Bolivia voted with Russian Federation to veto the resolution. “And actually we strongly believe that there is no contradiction between a strong North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a credible deterrence and defense and political dialogue with Russian Federation”.

“Vicious slaughter of innocent civilians with chemical weapons including the barbaric killing of small and helpless children and babies must be forcefully rejected by any nation that values human life”, Mr Trump said.

During a visit to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst she said: “Russia is on the wrong side of this argument but we are willing to work with Russian Federation to bring an end to the conflict in Syria, to bring about a political solution in Syria, but that political solution has to be without Assad”.

Rex Tillerson and Sergei Lavrov met in Moscow on Wednesday.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg echoed Trump’s call for cooperation with Russia, but said the US and NATO need to be strong in the face of Russian assertiveness.

Tillerson is right that “the world’s two foremost nuclear powers can not have this kind of relationship”.

Mr Lavrov also disputed the USA claim that the Syrian government was behind the chemical attacks on the town of Khan Sheikhoun on April 4th, stating that Russian Federation had “no confirmation” chemical attacks had taken place and was calling for an independent investigation.

“The principle of “innocent until proven guilty” has to be respected”, Lavrov said. “Russia has seen the same pictures that we all saw just days ago in this chamber”.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Right now, we’re not getting along with Russian Federation at all. “We were able to get the Syrian government to voluntarily and verifiably give up its chemical weapons stockpile”.