MOSCOW, March 5: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pointed to a tough period in US-Russia relations as he met the outgoing American ambassador to Moscow, William Burns.

“Your time here has coincided with what is not the easiest period” for US-Russia relations, Putin was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

“We’ve had quite a few problems. But the main thing, and I thank you for this, has been the desire to seek mutually acceptable solutions,” he added.—AFP