On Wednesday, CNN reports US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will sit down with the Russian Foreign Minister to discuss both America's latest actions in Syria, and the "very real" threat Russia has made if those actions are taken again.
Russia's Foreign Minister skipped the pleasantries in Wednesday's meeting
The divide between America and Russia -- in everything from politics to lifestyle -- has oft been a source of contention between the two global powerhouses. Reports indicate that in a meeting earlier today between Tillerson and Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, things were no different.
The 67-year-old Russia native allegedly skipped the niceties that usually accompany international, diplomatic meetings, and went straight for the elephant in the room: America's missile strike on Syria, and what it meant for future relations between the Russians and the American government. According to an interpreter that was present during the meeting, Lavrov indicated that the actions America had taken in Syria were "very troubling" to Russian officials, and that the Putin-led administration deemed it wise that such engagements "not happen again."
American allegations indicate Russia played a big role in Syrian attack
Lavrov's frank manner may have been a result of recent American allegations that Russia had colluded with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the events following Syria's chemical attack.
These allegations, led primarily by Tillerson himself, suggested that Russia had attempted to place the blame of the attack on another party and absolve Syria from any responsibility for the 72 deaths that occurred. Other older American allegations even went as far as to imply that Russia was complicit in Syria's illegal possession of chemical weapons in the first place.
Predictably, the Russian administration refused any involvement in the alleged events asserted by both accusations, but the Trump administration's shots at Russia, coupled with the deepening rift between the two countries, made the icy encounter between Lavrov and Tillerson understandable.
The Trump administration is sending mixed signals
CNN also reports that Lavrov mentioned Russian confusion regarding America's stance on Syria, Assad, and potential next steps. Reports indicate that America's UN Ambassador Nikki Haley's rather controversial statements surrounding the Syrian situation (she feels the Syrian president should be ousted first and foremost) don't line up with Rex Tillerson's assertion that ISIS should be the first thing America involves itself with.
Essentially, America's first official meeting with the Putin administration after the events in Syria was as rocky as experts predicted it would be. Analysts indicate that if the Trump administration can't get on the same page and act as a united front, the standoff between the US and Russia could extend for some time.
