U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Tuesday, according to the State Department, in his first visit to the country since 2013, when the Ukraine crisis began, and his second since taking office.
Russia has been criticized by U.S. and European leaders for allegedly supporting and arming separatists in eastern Ukraine. Kerry will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while there.
The "trip is part of our ongoing effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure U.S. views are clearly conveyed," according to a statement from the State Department. The discussion between the leaders will focus on a "range of bilateral and regional issues, including Iran, Syria, and Ukraine."
Moscow has yet to confirm the meeting. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said a final decision will be taken soon.
Secretary Kerry will travel to Sochi, #Russia and Antalya, #Turkey this week. Details at http://t.co/oGgx9iKVg2.— Department of State (@StateDept) May 11, 2015
Western nations accuse Russia of supporting separatists in Ukraine with arms and manpower, which is a charge Moscow denies. Russia, meanwhile, has bristled at Washington's pledge to provide Ukraine with military assistance in the form of hardware and training.
The meeting comes just days after Russia's military might was on full display during Victory Day celebrations in Moscow marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII.
During the event in the capital, Putin said the high death toll during the war highlighted the importance of peace and good international cooperation, but "in the past decades, we have seen attempts to create a unipolar world." The comment was seen as a dig at the U.S. for its role in global affairs.
Some information from the Associated Press.