Putin Meets With Tillerson in Russia After Keeping Him Waiting

MOSCOW — After Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson sat tight for a great part of the day, pondering whether he would get the opportunity to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin, the two men sat down at the Kremlin late Wednesday evening in the primary up close and personal meeting between the Russian pioneer and a top authority in the Trump organization.

Relations between the United States and Russia have developed so tense that it was misty whether Mr. Putin would consent to see Mr. Tillerson, a man he once gave an award of fellowship.

In the 24 hours before Mr. Tillerson handled, the White House denounced Mr. Putin's legislature of concealing proof that the Syrian administration of President Bashar al-Assad was in charge of sarin gas assaults all alone individuals, propelled from a base where Russian troops are working.

Mr. Putin shot back that the charge was manufactured and blamed the organization for President Trump, who American insight offices accept profited from Russian cyberattacks proposed to humiliate his Democratic opponent amid the decision crusade, of creating the confirmation to make a fake encounter.

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"This helps me especially to remember the occasions of 2003, when U.S. agents in the Security Council demonstrated affirmed concoction weapons found in Iraq," Mr. Putin stated, alluding to an insight disappointment that Mr. Trump has likewise refered to lately. "Precisely the same is going on now," he charged.

He cited two Russian essayists, Ilya Ilf and Yevgeni Petrov, writers of the 1928 parody "The 12 Chairs," and stated, " 'It's exhausting, women.' We have seen this all some time recently."

Yet, the discretionary theater playing out in Moscow on a blustery Wednesday morning was a long way from exhausting: Mr. Putin, working on home turf, was searching for any approach to shape the story of Mr. Tillerson's first outing here as secretary of state.

The result could well choose whether Mr. Trump's oft-expressed craving to redo American relations with Moscow will now break down, similarly as comparative endeavors by Barack Obama did at a very early stage in his administration.