Tillerson says Russia relations deteriorating

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Washington’s relationship with Russia is at an all-time low and deteriorating further.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson says talks with Moscow on stabilizing the conflict with Syria are progressing but it’s too early to tell if the discussions will bear fruit.

Tillerson’s appearance comes as the Senate is considering a new package of sanctions against Russia in retaliation for Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its aggression in other parts of the world, including Syria and Ukraine.

Tillerson says he’s still reviewing the package. He tells the committee it’s important to have the flexibility “to turn the heat up” on Russia if necessary. But he also says he doesn’t want promising channels of communication preemptively shut down.

— AP