{{Moscow (AFP)}} – {US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks on Tuesday amid tensions with Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, a Russian official said.}<\/p>\n
“His visit is expected,” an official told AFP on condition of anonymity ahead of an announcement by the foreign ministry. <\/p>\n
The foreign ministry declined to comment, only saying it would release an official statement at a later point.<\/p>\n
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to spend this week at his summer residence in Sochi.<\/p>\n
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP he could not immediately say whether the Russian president would host Kerry for talks.<\/p>\n
Separately, the state RIA Novosti news agency, quoting a diplomatic source, said Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov were set to discuss the Ukraine crisis as well as Syria, Iran and Yemen.<\/p>\n
“Kerry’s visit to Russia is very symbolic,” the diplomatic source was quoted as saying. <\/p>\n
“He cancelled his visit many times and finally decided to come. This will not be a breakthrough meeting but it is very important.”<\/p>\n
The source added that the US diplomat’s upcoming talks in Sochi was a sign that Russia was open to cooperation.<\/p>\n
“We never clam up, we are open and are ready to discuss everything,” the source said.<\/p>\n
Kerry’s visit would come after US President Barack Obama skipped Russia’s celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in what was widely seen as a snub over Moscow’s meddling in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
German Chancellor Angela Merkel too ducked out of attending the Red Square military parade on May 9 but visited Moscow on Sunday to pay tribute to the Soviet dead and hold talks with Putin.<\/p>\n
Putin has brushed off the Western snub and refused to budge on Ukraine. <\/p>\n
At the same time he has signalled his willingness to mend ties with Brussels and Washington amid hopes in Moscow that tough Western sanctions could be lifted or eased.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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