28 July 2017, 15:20 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on Friday with permanent members of Russia's Security Council to discuss the current state of Russia-US relations, as well as de-escalation zones in war-torn Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"There was a discussion of topical issues on the socio-economic domestic agenda, an exchange of views on the ongoing work on the creation of de-escalation zones in Syria. Some aspects of bilateral relations between Russia and the United States were touched upon," Peskov said.
Since 2014, relations between Russia and the United States deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.
