Top US and Russian diplomats urge dialog amid differences

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for the first time on Wednesday, saying the pair's nations should work together to make the world safer.

The pair were in the Icelandic capital, Rekjavik, for an Arctic Council meeting. Ties between both countries having deteriorated sharply in recent months, culminating in a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions..

What Blinken and Lavrov said

Blinken called for cooperation with Russia to make the world safer but also warned Washington would respond if Moscow "acts aggressively".

"If Russia acts aggressively against us, our partners, our allies we will respond," Blinken said at the start of the bilateral talks.

He added that "if the leaders of Russia and the United States can work together cooperatively ... the world can be a safer and more secure place."

For his part, Lavrov said Russia and the United States have "serious differences" but but that they had to cooperate "in spheres where our interests collide."

"We are ready to discuss all issues without exception if we understand that discussions will be honest and based on mutual trust," Lavrov said.

US seeks to rebuild bridges

Before traveling to Iceland, Blinken was in Denmark, where he held talks about economic, security and climate issues, as well as the Biden administration’s ongoing push to boost ties with the US's allies.

The US and Russia fail to see eye-to-eye on issues such as Ukraine, human rights, the treatment of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and allegations of Russian hacking on a key US pipeline.

Secretary of State Blinken has been a vocal critic of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, which has largely been rejected by the international community as illegal.

The previous Trump administration had a mixed legacy on Russia. US media reports said Trump had a close personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow would determine its own "red lines," insisting on putting both offensive and defensive, nuclear and non-nuclear weapons on the negotiation table.

US President Joe Biden has said he hopes to meet with Putin during a visit to Europe next month.

The Arctic Council is made up of nations around or near the Arctic Circle, including Russia and the US. 

Russia will take over as chair of the organization from Iceland for the next two years, according to the council’s website.

jf/rc (AFP, AP)