Kremlin Spokesman Speaks on Putin Meeting with Tillerson

PRESS RELEASE

Kremlin Spokesman Speaks on Putin Meeting with Tillerson

April 13, 2017 (EIRNS)—In his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out the reasons behind the deterioration of Russian-U.S. relations and also the prospects of Syrian settlement. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that President Putin

"gave a rather detailed account to his interlocutor [Tillerson] on his stance on the reasons that have led our bilateral relations to such a sad condition in which they are now."

Peskov added that Putin expects Tillerson to bring this information to U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The President shared his analysis and his vision of precursors of the current crisis in bilateral relations," Peskov said. "This makes it clear what, according to our view, had brought us to such a bilateral deadlock over the past several years."

Peskov described their discussion on Syria as "substantive." "The President outlined our vision of the current situation and the prospects of developing this situation," he said.

As for whether the meeting could be called a "shift" in relations Peskov said: "No, it can’t. It is early so far."

Asked whether the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Trump was discussed, Peskov said "No." And "there was no detailed discussion of Ukraine," he said, although Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had discussed it in their earlier meeting.