Kerry and Putin held ‘frank’ meeting, discuss Ukraine, Syria and Iran

Europe, News, US May 12, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Despite “frank discussions” between the US and Russia, no “major breakthrough” has been made over the Ukraine conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived here in Sochi on Tuesday morning to hold meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov to explore the possibility of cooperating on an array of regional crises.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that he has held a “frank meeting” with President Vladimir Putin during his first visit to Russia since the Ukraine crisis began in early 2014.

Mr Putin’s spokesman called the meeting a “positive step” and said the president wanted “extensive” talks.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia welcomed Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday in Sochi.

Kerry met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for more than four hours before he sat down with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in what was the highest-level U.S. visit to Russia since the Ukraine crisis began in the autumn of 2013.

“Important to keep lines of communication between the U.S. and #Russia open as we address pressing global issues,” he said.

Mr Kerry said on Twitter that the talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi also included Iran and Syria.

Had frank discussions with President #Putin & FM #Lavrov on key issues including #IranTalks, #Syria, #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/KDHrXgB0oH

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) May 12, 2015

Addressing the media after the talks, both diplomats stressed that they were on common ground with regards to many issues, including the situation in Syria and the threat of Islamic State terrorists in the region, as well as the Iranian nuclear deal.

John Kerry thanked Vladimir Putin for the “directness” he showed during the talks, and the “detailed explanation of Russia’s position” on the issues that are causing divisions.

However the talks between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin yielded no major breakthrough, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

Ties between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in March 2014 and backed pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow accuses Washington of orchestrating last year’s overthrow of a Ukrainian president who was supported by Russia.

John Kerry meets Russian Foreign Minister

Mr Kerry has also met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Minister has said it is “absolutely necessary” to avoid steps that could further harm the ailing relations between Russia and the US. He spoke at a media briefing following lengthy talks with his US counterpart.

The two diplomats admitted they were having a number of disagreements over the Ukrainian conflict, but both agreed on one thing: that February’s Minsk peace road-map is the best way to solve the crisis, and that diplomacy is the only way to peace. Both Lavrov and Kerry urged every international power that has any influence on any party in the Ukrainian conflict to exercise that influence in order to bring about the full implementation of the Minsk deals.

Kerry held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focused on bilateral ties, as well as several major international issues. The meeting lasted over four hours instead of the planned hour and a half, and immediately followed similarly long talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

During the talks, Russia’s top diplomat stressed that the current crisis in relations between the two nations is not Russia’s fault. According to a foreign ministry press release, Sergey Lavrov said that Russia is ready to work with the US, but only as an equal partner,“without attempts of dictate and coercion”.