U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are meeting Wednesday evening (US time) in Iceland.
The meeting is notable for being the first high-level, in-person talks between the Biden administration and a Russian counterpart. It may well set the stage for a possible presidential summit in June. Pre-meeting comments from Blinken and Lavrov are, on the other hand, not notable. A whole lot of nothing burger, diplomatic-speak. Not unexpectedly at this stage though.
Headlines via Reuters:
Blinken:
- says we seek stable, predictable relations with Russia
- says it's no secret that Russia and US have their differences
- there are many areas US and Russian interests intersect
- when Russia acts aggressively against US, our partners, our allies, we'll respond
- says if US and Russia can work together the world would be a more secure place
Lavrov:
- says we have serious differences in our assessment of international situation
- we are ready to discuss all issues
- the discussions should be honest and on the basis of mutual respect
- the main thing is to use diplomatic sources
- we have to cooperate in spheres where our interests coincide
- we would be ready to sort out issues left over from previous administration
- he hopes for a productive dialogue
