WASHINGTON — The United States and Russia put a brave face Friday on deteriorating relations, pledging to work together on shared interests even as they nursed frustration over differences on issues like missile defense, Syria and the case of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.
Opening high-level talks just two days after the White House canceled a planned summit between Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, Secretary of State John Kerry allowed that U.S.-Russia ties had been complicated by “the occasional collision” and “challenging moments.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov acknowledged the fractious state of relations but called on both sides to act like “grown-ups.”
Both men maintained that U.S-Russian cooperation on even limited areas of shared concern is important.
“The relationship between the United States and Russia is, needless to say, a very important relationship, and it is marked by both shared interests and, at times, colliding and conflicting interests and, I think, we are all very clear-eyed about that,” Kerry said as he and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomed Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Russia has minced no words in expressing its disappointment that Obama canceled the summit, and Lavrov made it clear that Moscow had been prepared to sign agreements on trade and nuclear research and security had it gone ahead.
“At least we in Russia were prepared to table our proposals to the two presidents,” Lavrov said.
