Putin: US-Russia Relations Deteriorating and Becoming Worse and Worse

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope that after the upcoming G20 forum in Japan, Moscow and Washington would be able to achieve constructive solutions that would create conditions for economic cooperation.

"We really hope that common sense will finally prevail. I hope that, together with our partners, including US partners, we will be able to achieve some solutions, as part of the upcoming G20 meeting, that will be constructive and will create stable conditions for economic cooperation," Putin said in an interview with the MIR broadcaster.
"[Relations] are deteriorating and becoming worse and worse. I believe that over the past years, the current [US] administration has made several dozen decisions related to sanctions toward Russia," Putin added.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the upcoming G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.

In mid-March, the US Treasury Department hit Moscow with new punitive measures, on eight Russian individuals and six entities, including shipbuilding and energy companies.The sanctions were introduced over their alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis. Washington stated that the restrictions were imposed with coordination with its allies: the European Union and Canada.

Within the past five years, the United States has imposed numerous rounds of punitive measures against Russia, accusing Moscow of interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, also in the American presidential election in 2016, alleged use of chemical weapons against Russian former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury and over the Kerch Strait incident.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and reacted with countermeasures against those Western nations that have targeted it with sanctions.