US Defense Secretary says Putin is "slow-witted, unreliable"

Asked whether relations between Washington and Moscow had become more strained since he took over the Pentagon last year, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the situation had worsened.

"President Putin is clearly a slow learner. He doesn't realize that what he is doing is actually creating hatred against his own people,"Reutersquoted Mattis on December 1, referring to Russia's shooting and capturing of three Ukrainian warships in the Black Sea on November 25.

"We see Putin breaking international agreements. We are dealing with a man who cannot be trusted," Mattis added. His comments came after President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with his Russian counterpart at the G20 summit in Argentina because "the Ukrainian ships and sailors have not been released."

Secretary Mattis also accused Russia of continuing to interfere in the US midterm elections. "Putin once again misbehaved in our election last month. We continue to see their efforts in this regard," Mattis said. He added that he would take whatever measures were necessary to protect American democracy.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election, sowing discord to boost Trump's chances of victory through a propaganda campaign and cyberattacks targeting Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign, although Moscow denies the allegations and Trump has insisted there was no collusion.

Ahead of the midterm elections on November 6, US officials have accused Russia of again trying to influence the vote. Prosecutors in October indicted a Russian national for allegedly providing funding for a Kremlin-backed plan to wage “information warfare” against the US, including efforts to influence the midterm elections.