Russia, US relations at 'lowest' point in past decades

By Diyar Guldogan

SOCHI, Russia (AA) - The relations between Moscow and Washington reached the "lowest" point in recent decades, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

"The bad thing is that despite having contacts and an opportunity to discuss some issues, our relations [with the U.S.] are deteriorating day by day. They are at the lowest point in recent decades," Medvedev was quoted as saying by Russia's official TASS news agency.

Medvedev said he on Sunday met President Donald Trump at a gala dinner at the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Philippines.

He told reporters that they discussed various issues between the two countries since they were sitting next to each other.

"He [Trump] is an open, benevolent person with whom one can comfortably speak on a variety of topics," Medvedev said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump on Saturday briefly met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as the U.S. president traveled to Hanoi as part of his Asia trip, Trump said Putin again denied meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections.

"He [Putin] says he didn't meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times," Trump said.

"Every time he sees me, he said: 'I didn't do that.' And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it," said Trump, adding that Putin was "very insulted" by the accusations.