moscow/washington presidents unite state russia wednesday present sour view relationship two countries exchange sharp word moscow extend icy welcome unite state top diplomat face-off syria washington president donald trump say unite state relationship moscow may all-time low trump comment come make big foreign policy decision new presidency last week fire missiles syria punish moscow ally suspect use poison gas russia condemn u.s. action graphic battle control syria click tmsnrt.rs/2nm68h0 hours early wednesday russian president vladimir putin equally pessimistic say interview broadcast russian television level trust work level especially military level improve rather deteriorate rhetorical salvos come u.s. secretary state rex tillerson receive unusually hostile reception moscow hope trump administration would herald less confrontational relations dash week u.s. missile strike syria tillerson meet putin kremlin talk russian counterpart sergei lavrov three hours kremlin previously decline confirm putin would meet tillerson reflect renew tensions trump frequently call 2016 u.s. presidential election campaign warm tie putin despite criticism lawmakers republican party civil war syria drive wedge moscow washington upend many russia hop would transformation relations reach post-cold war low trump predecessor barack obama tillerson sit talk lavrov wednesday volley statements include senior russian official appear time maximize awkwardness first visit moscow member trump cabinet lavrov double russia support syrian president bashar al-assad repeat denials assad government blame gas attack last week add new theory attack may fake assad enemies tillerson reiterate u.s. position assad must eventually relinquish power syria discuss view russia close ally conflict perhaps best mean help assad recognize reality say ask whether assad could subject war crimes charge tillerson say people work make case though caution would require clear high legal hurdle lavrov greet tillerson unusually icy remark denounce missile strike syria illegal accuse washington behave unpredictably one lavrov deputies even undiplomatic general primitiveness loutishness characteristic current rhetoric come washington deputy foreign minister sergei ryabkov tell russia state-owned ria news agency lavrov say progress make syria meet work group would set examine poor state u.s.-russia tie also say putin agree reactivate u.s.-russian air safety agreement syria moscow suspend u.s. missile strike tillerson note low level trust two countries world two foremost nuclear power kind relationship say moscow hostility trump administration figure sharp change last year putin hail trump strong figure russian state television often full effusive praise another possible setback thaw moscow trump say wednesday nato obsolete declare election campaign last year tell news conference white house nato secretary general jens stoltenberg alliance members still need pay fair share european security umbrella trump say u.s. relations russia go well right get along russia may all-time low term relationship russia build long period time go see happen trump tell news conference interview wall street journal trump say administration policy demand assad step part peaceful resolution conflict contrast tillerson remark moscow insist think go happen certain point trump say wall street journal cite trump say assad use chemical weapons would elicit another military response also say would intervene depth conflict white house accuse moscow try cover assad use chemical weapons attack rebel-held syrian town last week kill 87 people trump respond gas attack fire 59 cruise missiles syrian air base friday washington warn moscow russian troop base hit moscow stand assad say poison gas belong rebel explanation washington dismiss beyond credible russia block western effort u.n. security council wednesday condemn gas attack push assad cooperate international inquiries incident trump come presidency promise great cooperation russia fight two countries common enemy syria islamic state militant group tillerson former oil executive award russia order friendship putin trump relations russia also domestic issue u.s. intelligence agencies accuse moscow use computer hack intervene u.s. presidential election help trump win federal bureau investigation investigate whether trump campaign figure collude moscow white house deny u.s.-russia relations another low syria attack