Trump: Relations Between the U.S. and Russia Will Improve

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, expressed confidence on Thursday, April 13, that relations between Washington and Moscow will progress positively. According to AFP, Mr. Trump tweeted: "The situation between the U.S. and Russia will improve." The U.S. President added: "In due time, everyone will come to their senses, and at that time, a lasting peace will be established." This statement from Donald Trump came a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's meeting with Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov, the President and Foreign Minister of Russia. Mr. Tillerson had a two-hour meeting with Putin on Wednesday, which had previously been announced to be canceled due to the U.S. missile strike on Syria. A significant portion of the conference between the U.S. and Russian foreign ministers was related to the Syrian crisis. The U.S. Secretary of State reiterated that the Syrian forces were responsible for the chemical attack on April 4 in Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province. He responded to reporters by stating that there is still no evidence of Russian involvement in this attack. The U.S., by accusing the Assad government of carrying out this chemical attack, launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airbase and warned Damascus against the further use of chemical weapons. In response, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, called for an impartial investigation into the chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun. Following this meeting, Russia vetoed a resolution presented by Western countries condemning the chemical attack in Syria at the Security Council. Trump's tweet on Thursday had a softer tone compared to his statements on Wednesday. The U.S. President had stated at a press conference: "We currently have a very bad relationship with Russia." On Wednesday, in a television interview, he criticized Vladimir Putin, saying that the Russian President supports a "wicked individual." Donald Trump also referred to Bashar al-Assad as an "animal." Trump's recent positions on Russia come amid ongoing investigations by the FBI and several congressional committees regarding possible communications between his team and Russia. Previously, Michael Flynn, the White House National Security Advisor, was forced to resign due to contacts with the Russian ambassador during the transition period.