Tillerson: There is currently no trust between the USA and Russia
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says that at the present time, there is virtually no trust between Washington and Moscow. He referenced the agreements on arms control and the situation in Ukraine as the areas in which Russia "is not being particularly helpful today."
At the same time, he mentioned the necessity to restore a certain level of trust with Russia. He stated there was a need to work on a long list of things – from military and nuclear agreements to Ukraine, the Crimea, and other places where Russia is not very helpful. He expressed hope that a new path to cooperation can be built. Although he doubted whether it is possible, he still expressed a desire to try. Tillerson made these statements on May 3rd during his speech at the U.S. State Department.
Recently, relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated due to the war in Syria. On April 7th, the U.S. inflicted a missile strike on a Syrian Air Force base in response to a chemical attack on a town controlled by the Syrian rebels. The West, including Washington, blames the Syrian Army, which is supported by Russia, for the attack. The Kremlin denied that Syrian forces had used toxic substances.
After former President Barack Obama’s term ended and the new President, Donald Trump, took office, the Kremlin expressed hopes in improving Russian-American relations. Now, Russia's rhetoric has changed.