Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN there has never been "close cooperation" between the United States and Russia on Syria. Peskov directed specific inquiries on Tillerson's op-ed to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"The political will to cooperate is needed on the Syrian arrangement, meanwhile there is no such cooperation," Peskov said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to the piece at her weekly news briefing by calling it "confrontational" and "fake news."

"It's time for American politicians and diplomats to realize that nothing can be achieved from Russia by methods of power, economic influence and pressure, and the illusion that Washington's policy is built on has long ago discredited itself in the international arena as well," she said.

Tillerson's article touched on other major issues facing the State Department at home and abroad, including North Korea. Tillerson said the hope of the US was still to pressure North Korea into "serious negotiations" that would lead to the end of the isolated nation's nuclear program.

"A door to dialogue remains open, but we have made it clear that the regime must earn its way back to the negotiating table," Tillerson said.

Tillerson, in his op-ed, defended his reform vision, saying it "doesn't involve simply shifting boxes on an organizational chart," and closed out by praising the "patriotic and dedicated State Department employees."

"We are giving our people more opportunities to flourish professionally and spend more time confronting the global problems they have dedicated their careers to solving," he wrote.