MOSCOW: Top US diplomat John Kerry is set to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Rome, both countries said Saturday, amid Russian anger over the prospect of new US sanctions and possible supply of US weapons to Ukraine.
The timing remained unclear. A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Rome said the meeting would be Sunday afternoon in the Italian capital, while the State Department reiterated an earlier statement it was planned for Monday.
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov also said "agreement has been reached" on holding the talks Sunday, Interfax news agency reported.
Despite the tensions over the separatist war in east Ukraine, Ryabkov said that "the main focus at their 17th meeting this year would be on the Middle East," where Islamic State jihadists have overrun large parts of Syria and Iraq.