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US top diplomat says Ukraine key obstacle for Moscow-Washington ties

However the US president has always sought to establish good relations with Russia, Tillerson noted

© AP Photo/Jon Gambrell

VIENNA, December 8. /TASS/. The Ukrainian crisis is the major obstacle that keeps the United States and Russia from mending ties, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council’s meeting in Vienna.

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Expert warns Kiev will wreck Minsk accords due to feud amongst Ukraine’s elite

According to Tillerson, US President Donald Trump has always sought to establish good relations with Russia and the two leaders have had several meetings as part of high-level international events over the past year.

"We can have differences in other arenas, in Syria. We can have differences in other areas," Tillerson said. "But the issue that stands in the way is Ukraine," he stressed.

The two-day meeting of the OSCE foreign ministers opened on Thursday at the organization’s headquarters in Vienna. The agenda includes the crisis in Ukraine, the war on terror, arms control and other issues. Some 40 top diplomats are taking part in the meeting, including Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson.

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NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

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Shooting of Selidovo residents by Ukrainian troops meant to repeat Bucha provocation

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French politician calls for protests against deployment of Western troops to Ukraine

Florian Philippot called on his supporters to rally "in support for peace and against this madness" on December 1

Restrictions under New START treaty don’t apply to Oreshnik missile — Russian diplomat

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France, UK may deploy troops to Ukraine following ceasefire — expert

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Ukrainian strikes inside Russia impossible without Western support — newspaper

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 12 that Ukraine was unable to strike inside Russia without the West’s assistance because it would require intelligence data from satellites and flight assignments

Russia gave OPCW over 30 reports proving Ukraine used banned substances, official says

Kirill Lysogorsky noted that "the Kiev regime continues to systematically use toxic chemicals and chemical riot control agents"

Ukrainian officer says 90% of fellow servicemen have no desire to fight

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Romanian presidential candidate vows to end military aid to Ukraine

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Russian armed forces defeat Ukrainian assault Battalion Shkval in DPR

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Netanyahu may accept ceasefire in Lebanon to stop Hezbollah bombings — diplomat

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Putin appoints envoy for international criminal and legal cooperation

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The company also noted that Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller and Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov discussed cooperation in the gas sector at a working meeting

Russia acted responsibly in warning US about Oreshnik missile launch, Kremlin says

The US was notified automatically 30 minutes before the launch by Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center

Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

"The enemy positioned in the fortified area in Velikaya Novoselka in the south of the DPR is already trapped in a kill zone," the source said

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