Putin Calls For 'Pragmatic Cooperation' In Holiday Message To Trump
- 6 years ago
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has called for "pragmatic cooperation" in his holiday message to President Trump.
In a holiday message to President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" between the two nations, according to a CNN report on Saturday.
Putin said that "the development [of] a constructive Russian-U.S. dialogue is particularly important for strengthening strategic stability in the world and finding the optimal answers to global threats and challenges."
The relations between the two nations "have been strained over allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and its backing of the Syrian government," notes Reuters.
Putin's message comes days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a New York Times op-ed that the Trump administration is well aware of what it's up against in regard to Russia.
"We have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with," Tillerson wrote. "The United States today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined the sovereignty of Western nations by meddling in our election and others'."
"While we are on guard against Russian aggression, we recognize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect," Tillerson added.
Meanwhile, Trump has been criticized for not taking a more critical stance toward Russia in the wake of the alleged election interference. However, the president has pushed back on suggestions that he should adopt a different approach on that matter.
"When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country," he tweeted in November. "I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!"
In a holiday message to President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" between the two nations, according to a CNN report on Saturday.
Putin said that "the development [of] a constructive Russian-U.S. dialogue is particularly important for strengthening strategic stability in the world and finding the optimal answers to global threats and challenges."
The relations between the two nations "have been strained over allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and its backing of the Syrian government," notes Reuters.
Putin's message comes days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a New York Times op-ed that the Trump administration is well aware of what it's up against in regard to Russia.
"We have no illusions about the regime we are dealing with," Tillerson wrote. "The United States today has a poor relationship with a resurgent Russia that has invaded its neighbors Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and undermined the sovereignty of Western nations by meddling in our election and others'."
"While we are on guard against Russian aggression, we recognize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect," Tillerson added.
Meanwhile, Trump has been criticized for not taking a more critical stance toward Russia in the wake of the alleged election interference. However, the president has pushed back on suggestions that he should adopt a different approach on that matter.
"When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country," he tweeted in November. "I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!"