U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an upbeat assessment of relations with Russia in the long term, saying on Twitter: "Things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia."
"At the right time everyone will come to their senses & there will be lasting peace!" Trump added in the tweet on April 13.
It came less than 24 hours after Trump told a White House press conference that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's trip to Moscow had gone "pretty well" and "maybe better than expected" but that U.S.-Russian relations "may be at an all-time low."
Tillerson held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said in an interview published on April 12 that the level of trust between the two countries had "most likely deteriorated" since Trump took office in January.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on April 13 said that during their meeting, Putin gave Tillerson his views on the causes of the current "deadlock" in relations.
"We hope that the U.S. president will become aware of that analysis," Peskov told reporters.
Peskov said it was “too early yet" when asked if the Putin-Tillerson meeting had produced any positive change in the situation, although he called the talks "fairly constructive."
He added that there was no discussion of a possible future summit meeting between Putin and Trump.
Trump, in his comments at the White House on April 12, said that it would be "fantastic" if the two powers got along better but cautioned that "it may be just the opposite."
Trump's praise for Putin and calls for closer cooperation in remarks during the presidential campaign last year raised expectations in Moscow for improvements after he took office, but tension has persisted.
Remarks from both sides during Tillerson's visit made clear the two countries are deeply at odds over issues including Russia's backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its interference in Ukraine, and its alleged meddling in the U.S. election.
