Kremlin confirms that Putin has met with US Secretary of State nominee
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, has held business meetings with US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, as chairman of the ExxonMobil oil corporation, as confirmed by the President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, Interfax reports.
“They had business meetings. Indeed, the President has hosted Mr. Tillerson, as well as his partners in Russia on several occasions.” Peskov stated in answering the question whether Putin knows the businessman.
At the same time, the representative of the Kremlin stated that Moscow looks forward to the constructive spirit and professionalism of the future U.S. Secretary of State, whoever he may be.
“Regarding the concerns of whether he will treat the Russian Federation good or bad - there’s a big difference between being the Secretary of State and running a company, even a large one. That’s why, some interests, so to say, certainly will take a back seat,” Peskov said.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Tillerson was a "pragmatic person".