Putin Says Relations Between U.S. and Russia are Getting "Worse and Worse"

President Vladimir Putin said the relationship between Moscow and Washington is getting worse and worse. In an interview on Thursday, he pointed out that the U.S. Government has imposed dozens of sanctions on Russia.

Putin made a dismal assessment ahead of the G-20 summit in Japan later this month, where he may meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Relations between the United States and Russia remain tense, from Syria to Ukraine, and Russian interference in U.S. political affairs denied by Moscow. According to a Kremlin transcript, "They (our relations) are going downhill, they are getting worse and worse," Putin told Mir TV. "The current administration has approved, in my opinion, several dozen decisions on sanctions against Russia in recent years."

The Russian leader contrasted Moscow's contentious relationship with Washington with what he described as its Washington's relationship with China, which is deepening, and has shocked some U.S. policymakers. Meanwhile, Trump said good relations with Russia are still possible after the 'witch hunt'.

Trump told reporters Wednesday that he would meet Putin at the G20 in Japan, but the Kremlin said the idea of the meeting was "hanging in the air" the day before, without discussing specific details. Trump said Wednesday that he hoped the United States would establish "a great relationship with Russia", but promised to deploy 1,000 U.S. troops to Poland as a step in Warsaw's call to stop Russian aggression.

Trump said Wednesday that he was considering sanctions against Germany over Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project and warned Germany not to rely on Russia for energy. Putin expressed his support for China in the new trade war with the United States. In the same interview, he said that despite the current track of development of relations, he hoped that relations with Washington would be smoother, saying "We really hope that common sense will prevail in the end."

"That with all of our partners, including our American partners... we can reach some decisions in the framework of the forthcoming G20 that will be constructive and create the necessary stable conditions for economic cooperation."

Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/06/13/putin-says-relations-between-russia-and-us-are-getting-worse-and-worse-mir-tv-a65979