President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama may hold informal discussions when they travel to the Asia-Pacific region this week for international summits, officials said Friday.
The two leaders last met in June, when they exchanged a few words during a ceremony in France marking the D-Day invasion anniversary. With Russia-West ties at their lowest point since the Cold War, amid the dispute over Ukraine, the strain in their personal relations was clearly visible.
This week, Obama and Putin will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, then the G20 summit in Australia.
Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yury Ushakov, said Friday that no meeting has been set but that Putin and Obama have "a good chance" to meet on the sidelines. Ushakov emphasized that Putin wasn't shunning such a meeting.
In Washington, White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice said that while there were no plans for a formal meeting between Obama and Putin, "I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had some informal communication."
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.