WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (April 11) offered to help boost Russia's economy and sought an end to what he called an "arms race," in an apparent diplomatic overture less than one hour after warning Moscow about pending missile strikes in Syria.

"Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Russia's Foreign Ministry mocked Trump's proposal to put an end to global arms race, and called for Washington to destroy its chemical weapons.

"Great idea!" Maria Zakharova, spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, wrote on Facebook, commenting on Trump's suggestion.

"There is a proposal to start with the destruction of chemical weapons. The American ones," she wrote.