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Syria war: Tillerson urges Russia to stop supporting Assad Syria war: US-Russia ties worse under Trump, Putin says
(about 2 hours later)
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is holding talks in Russia with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as America urges Moscow to stop supporting Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said relations with the US have worsened since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The visit comes amid tensions over last week's suspected chemical attack in Syria and US strikes on a Syrian base. He told Russian TV that trust between the two countries had particularly deteriorated "on the military level".
Russia has condemned the American strikes and stands by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its long-time ally. The remarks were released as Russia's foreign minister met his US counterpart in Moscow, amid rising tension over a suspected chemical attack in Syria.
President Donald Trump has said the US has no further plans there and is "not going into" that country's civil war. The US has been urging Russia to end its support for the Syrian government.
On Tuesday his defence secretary made clear the priority remained the defeat of the Islamic State jihadist group. "Our military policy in Syria has not changed," Jim Mattis said. But Russia has denounced US air strikes on a Syrian airbase, launched last week in response to the government's attack on a rebel area in Idlib province.
Last week's air strike has led to confusion over US policy in Syria, with some officials suggesting a more aggressive stance against President Assad. Asked by Mir television about accusations that the forces of President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons, Mr Putin reaffirmed that Syria had given up its chemical stockpile.
As they were preparing to meet on Wednesday, Mr Lavrov told Mr Tillerson that Russia had "a lot of questions regarding very ambiguous and contradictory ideas (...) coming from Washington". Speaking about relations between Moscow and Washington, he added: "One could say that the level of trust on a working level, especially on the military level, has not improved, but rather has deteriorated."
Mr Tillerson said he looked forward to a "candid" exchange so that the two countries could better define and narrow their differences.
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The statement came as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was holding talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Ahead of the meeting in Moscow, Mr Lavrov said Russia had "a lot of questions regarding very ambiguous and contradictory ideas (...) coming from Washington".
The US air strikes have led to confusion over US policy in Syria, with some officials suggesting a more aggressive stance against President Assad.
On Tuesday President Donald Trump said the priority remained defeating the Islamic jihadist group and that the US was "not going into" Syria's civil war.
Mr Tillerson said he looked forward to a "candid" exchange so that the two countries could better define and narrow their differences.
Key ally
Mr Tillerson has warned that Russia risks becoming irrelevant in the Middle East because of its support for Mr Assad.Mr Tillerson has warned that Russia risks becoming irrelevant in the Middle East because of its support for Mr Assad.
However, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says President Assad is Russia's key military ally in the Middle East and Mr Tillerson may need to rethink his belief that he can weaken Moscow's support for him.However, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says President Assad is Russia's key military ally in the Middle East and Mr Tillerson may need to rethink his belief that he can weaken Moscow's support for him.
The White House also says Russia has been trying to deflect blame for the chemical attack that killed 89 people.The White House also says Russia has been trying to deflect blame for the chemical attack that killed 89 people.
US intelligence reports say the Syrian government used chemical weapons during air strikes on the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun that left 89 people dead. The Turkish health ministry on Tuesday confirmed that the nerve agent Sarin had been used. US intelligence reports say the Syrian government used chemical weapons during air strikes on the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun that left 89 people dead.
Syria denies this and Moscow has instead blamed rebel forces, which it says were storing chemical weapons which were hit in the raids. Syria denies this and Moscow has instead blamed rebel forces, which it suggests were storing chemical weapons which were hit in the raids.
The UN Security Council is to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution by the US, UK and France requiring the Syrian government to co-operate with an investigation into the chemical attack. The UN Security Council is to vote later on Wednesday on a draft resolution by the US, UK and France requiring the Syrian government to co-operate with an investigation into the chemical attack.
President Putin has also called for an independent UN investigation.President Putin has also called for an independent UN investigation.
On Tuesday he said that "fake chemical attacks" were being prepared in other regions, designed to be blamed on the Syrian government. On Tuesday Mr Tillerson attended a G7 meeting in Italy aimed at hammering out a unified approach to Syria before he headed to Moscow.
The Russian president added that the Western response to Khan Sheikhoun reminded him of 2003, "when US envoys to the UN Security Council were demonstrating what they said were chemical weapons found in Iraq."
Mr Tillerson had earlier attended a G7 meeting in Italy aimed at hammering out a unified approach to Syria before he headed to Moscow.
But divisions arose as UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson proposed sanctions against Syrian and Russian military figures over the chemical attack.But divisions arose as UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson proposed sanctions against Syrian and Russian military figures over the chemical attack.
Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said ministers wanted to engage with Russia and use its leverage over Mr Assad.Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said ministers wanted to engage with Russia and use its leverage over Mr Assad.
But Mr Tillerson won support over the US retaliatory strike on Syria, which he said was necessary to prevent chemical weapons falling into the hands of jihadist groups.But Mr Tillerson won support over the US retaliatory strike on Syria, which he said was necessary to prevent chemical weapons falling into the hands of jihadist groups.
Meanwhile in an interview with Fox Business Network to be broadcast on Wednesday, President Trump said: "We are not going into Syria", adding that he had felt the need to act after the Syrian government violated an agreement made with the Obama administration to remove its chemical weapons.
The Syrian and Iranian foreign ministers will travel to Moscow later in the week for talks, the Russian government said.