Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that he wants to know what the real intentions of the U.S. administration are, following its missile strikes in Syria, Reuters reported.
Speaking ahead of a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson, Lavrov took a tough stance on the U.S. decision to strike a Syria-government airbase. President Donald Trump ordered a cruise missile strike last Thursday after an alleged chemical attack conducted by the Syrian regime.
Russia’s Lavrov said Wednesday that it is important that the U.S. doesn’t allow more military strikes in Syria, adding that last week’s decision violated the law. Lavrov also stated that Russia has lots of questions about the “ambiguous” and “contradictory” ideas coming from the U.S. administration, according to the Associated Press. The news agency also described how Russia’s top diplomat subtly mocked Tillerson for the fact that his top State department roles are currently unfilled.
Meanwhile, Tillerson told reporters that Wednesday’s meeting aimed at clarifying the positions of both the U.S. and Russia when it comes to the six-year war in Syrian. Tillerson could also meet with Russia President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing a Kremlin spokesperson.
In a TV interview aired Wednesday, Putin said the relationship with the United States has deteriorated since President Donald Trump took office. “One could say that the level of trust on a working level, especially on the military level, has not improved, but rather has deteriorated,” Putin said, according to translated remarks by the Kremlin.
Putin added that Syria had given up its chemical weapons stocks, Reuters also reported.