At a “low point,” US and Russia back opposing visions on Assad

The US state secretary said Assad’s reign “is coming to an end,” a vision Russia’s foreign minister did not indulge in. Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to probe a chemical weapons attack in Syria, Deutsche Welle reports.

US State Secretary Rex Tillerson on Wednesday said US-Russia relations are at a “low point” after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Tensions between Moscow and Washington have been exacerbated by US President Donald Trump’s order to launch cruise missiles against a Syrian military facility believed to be the launch pad for a chemical weapons attack that killed 87 civilians, including 31 children.

“I expressed the view that the current state of US-Russia relations is at a low point. There is a low level of trust between our two countries. The world’s two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this kind of relationship,” Tillerson told reporters after the meeting.

Lavrov alleged that attempts had been made to “prevent us from cooperating and even raise tensions,” without referring to the catalyst.

“We believe that this approach is short-sighted, particularly because history has shown that when Moscow and Washington cooperate, not only our peoples but the whole world benefits from it,” he added.

Lavrov and Tillerson announced the establishment of a task force comprising foreign policy officials tasked with addressing issues and making progress to stabilizing relations. But the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained a divider, with both sides backing opposite visions.