Putin told state-run Mir television that relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated in the early months of Trump’s presidency.
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“There is a low level of trust between our two countries”, Mr Tillerson said.
Russian Federation has accused the US of breaking global law and using the chemical weapons attack as a pretext for hitting the Syrian base with Tomahawk missiles.
Tuesday, the White House declassified a USA intelligence report that accused Putin of a cover-up to “confuse” and “obfuscate” on behalf of Assad.
Tillerson reiterated the USA position that Assad must eventually relinquish power in Syria but appeared to take a slightly softer line with Russian Federation.
It was the eighth time during Syria’s six-year-old civil war that Moscow has used its veto power on the Security Council to shield Assad’s government.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he was “dismayed” by Russian Federation vetoing Wednesday a United Nations draft resolution on the suspected chemical attack in Syria.
Mr Lavrov called for a United Nations investigation into the attacks in Syria beforehand but no agreement was reached with Washington during the two-hour talks. But Tillerson repeated the administration’s new belief that “the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end”. “I do not know who saw them”.
Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said ministers wanted to engage with Russian Federation and use its leverage over Mr Assad.
“And to further clarify areas of sharp difference, so we can better understand why these differences exist and what the prospects for narrowing those differences may be”.
Rex Tillerson’s visit marked the first trip by a Trump Cabinet official to Russian Federation.
According to Iranian state IRNA news, Javad Zarif condemned using chemical weapons in general and said that, in the meantime, using this excuse for unilateral and illegal attacks on Syria is also condemned and this matter should be dealt impartially so that the truth becomes known.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s sudden about-face on the Syrian gas attack last week had politics and appeasing the Americans written all over it, an expert in Middle Eastern policy says.
FILE – Victims of a suspected chemical weapons attack lie on the ground in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib province, Syria, April 4, 2017. Moscow has blamed Syrian rebels.
On Tuesday, Putin had claimed the US would make up the existence of additional chemical weapons in Syria to justify further military action against the war-torn country’s regime, without providing any evidence.
Tillerson said he wanted “a very open, candid and frank exchange” as the two men try to figure each other out during the first visit to Russian Federation by a senior member of US President Donald Trump’s administration.
The US claims the strike destroyed 20% of Syria’s operational aircraft, a figure disputed by Russia’s Defense Ministry.
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He restated the US beliefs that Russian hackers and propagandists interfered in the United States vote and that Assad’s forces were behind the latest chemical weapons attack. Less than 24 hours later, following a telephone call with Trump, Trudeau said publicly Canada now believed Assad was to blame and backed the air strikes. Additional such actions would entail “grave consequences not only for regional but global security”, Lavrov said.
