Coldest handshake
Grim-faced crunch talks between US and Russia ... as Trump admits an ‘all- time low’ in relations
‘It’s very bad for mankind’
DONALD Trump last night said America’s relations with Russia were at an ‘ all- time low’ over Vladimir Putin’s continued support for the bloody Syrian regime.
His comments came after crunch talks in Moscow yesterday between the Russian president and Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State.
The US President’s concern was echoed by America’s top diplomat, who said there was a ‘low level of trust’ between the two nations which must improve.
Mr Tillerson held talks with the Russian president and his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to urge them to drop their support for the Syrian government.
The meeting followed a war of words between Mr Trump and Mr Putin played out in TV interviews. The Russian leader said the US had violated international law by bombing a Syrian airbase.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump accused Mr Putin of backing an ‘animal’ through his support of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The US leader added last night that ‘we’re not getting along with Russia at all’ and said relations were at an ‘all-time low’, apparently forgetting the 13-day stand-off before the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The latest row came as Russia used its veto in the UN Security Council to block an international probe into last Tuesday’s chemical attack on a rebel-held Syrian town, in which almost 90 victims died.
Mr Tillerson said he had told Mr Putin that relations between the two nations were marked by a ‘low level of trust’.
The men know each other well from Mr Tillerson’s days as chief executive of oil and gas firm ExxonMobil. Mr Putin had even granted Mr Tillerson a Russian friendship honour for his work in the sector.
But at a joint Press conference with Mr Lavrov, the Secretary of State said: ‘The current state of US-Russian relations is at a low point.’
In a sign that things are now as frosty as during the Cold War, Mr Tillerson added: ‘ There’s a low level of trust between our two countries. The world’s two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this sort of relationship.
‘We need to attempt to put an end to this steady degradation, which is doing nothing to restore the trust between our two countries or to make progress on the issues of greatest importance to both of us.’ In an attempt to relieve tensions, Mr Lavrov said both nations believed there should be a UN probe into the gas attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun.
But Russia last night blocked a Security Council resolution put forward by Britain, France and the US demanding Assad allow inspectors ‘unfettered access’.
Moscow vetoed the proposal because it asked the Syrian state to provide flight plans for the day of the attack. Russia claimed that, while it wanted a probe, it did not want this to centre on Assad’s regime as blame was not proven.
A Russian diplomat yesterday accused Britain of trying to undermine the peace effort in Syria.
In a furious UN speech, Russia’s deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov jabbed his finger at UK diplomat Matthew Rycroft, saying: ‘Look at me when I’m talking to you.’ Mr Safronkov went on: ‘You’re losing sleep that we might be working together with the United States, co- operating with the United States – that is what you fear. You’re doing everything to make sure this kind of co-operation is undermined.’ He added: ‘What have you done to advance a cease-fire? You welcome various opposition groups in London and Paris, illegal armed groups.’
Boris Johnson condemned the Russian veto and urged Mr Putin to use his influence with Assad to bring the civil war to an end. ‘I am dismayed that Russia has once again blocked the UN Security Council and in so doing refused to condemn the use of chemical weapons or support a full UN investigation into the attack,’ the Foreign Secretary said.
Samples from the attack site, analysed by UK scientists, tested positive for sarin or a sarin-like substance. Mr Rycroft said Mr Putin was on the ‘wrong side of history’.
In an earlier TV interview, Mr Putin told Russian channel Mir: ‘One could say that the level of
trust [between Russia and the US] on a working level, especially on the military level, has not improved but rather has deteriorated.’ He added: ‘Where is the proof that Syrian troops used chemical weapons? There isn’t any.’
Then, referring to the US air strike, he added: ‘But there was a violation of international law.’
Meanwhile, Mr Trump told Fox Business Network: ‘Putin is backing a person that’s truly an evil person ... I think it’s very bad for mankind.’ He added: ‘They have these massive barrels with dynamite and they drop them right in the middle of a group of people ... This is an animal. If Russia didn’t go in and back this animal, you wouldn’t have a problem right now.’ However, Mr Trump said the US was not planning further direct action against Assad in Syria. At one point he appeared to get Syria and Iraq mixed up, and had to be corrected by the host.