On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew into the city of Sochi on Russia’s Black Sea to meet with President Vladimir Putin. Pompeo’s arrival coincides with a clash between Russia and the United States over Venezuela and amid a spike in tensions with Iran, with fears of a possible military confrontation between the U.S. and Tehran growing.
The trip comes the Kremlin and the White House have indicated they want to improve relations. President Donald Trump has said he will meet with Putin at a G20 summit in Japan next month.
Pompeo first met with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, in Sochi, with Pompeo telling Lavrov the Trump administration is “committed to improving this relationship” and that the two countries were “not destined to be adversaries on every issue.”
“We understand that on both sides more than a little suspicion and prejudice has built up. But neither you, nor us gains anything from this,” Lavrov told Pompeo.
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