Russia accuses US of ‘primitive and loutish’ rhetoric over Syria

Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, also said Washington’s position on the six-year conflict remains a “mystery”.

The remarks came as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson began discussions with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov over America’s missile strike on a Syrian airbase.

Vladimir Putin – who could meet Mr Tillerson later – has also said relations and “trust” appear to have worsened under President Donald Trump.

The US attack on the Syrian base was retaliation for a chemical weapons attack widely blamed on President Bashar al Assad.

As the two men faced each other across a table in Moscow, Mr Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s view that the strike was against international law and should not be repeated.

He said he wanted to know the White House’s “real intentions” and that the US approach to the conflict was “contradictory”.

President Trump has been accused of a lack of clarity over whether his priority is removing Islamic State or President Assad.

 Tillerson: Russia either not serious or incompetent

Mr Tillerson is believed to be hoping to convince the Kremlin to change or tone down its support for the Syrian regime.

:: Is there any way Tillerson can get Russia on board?

The Secretary of State told Mr Lavrov he wanted to clarify areas of common interest and see if they could narrow their “sharp differences”.

Mr Tillerson has accused Russia of “failing” to uphold its 2013 commitment to ensure the Syrian regime gives up its chemical arsenal.

“It is unclear whether Russia failed to take this obligations seriously, or Russia has been competent,” he said in comments earlier this week.

The two men are now holding talks behind closed doors, before a joint news conference later.

Mr Tillerson’s visit is the first time a senior Trump official has visited Russia.

The tension is a far cry from his days visiting the country as the boss of oil giant ExxonMobil, when Mr Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship.

 Johnson: Russia has a big choice to make

In an interview broadcast on the day of the talks, Mr Putin said: “It can be said that the level of trust at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded (under President Trump).”

He also said Syria had complied with a deal to scrap its chemical weapons “so far as we know”, and reiterated his belief that the attack that killed more than 80 people was either a rebel provocation or the result of Syrian planes hitting a rebel weapons factory.

Hopes of Mr Tillerson fronting up to the Moscow talks with the threat of new sanctions came to nothing after the proposal was rejected by G7 ministers at a meeting in Italy.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had championed the idea, but it was blocked by Germany, Italy and France. – news.sky.com