Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that his government has had a lot of questions about what he said were ambiguous and contradictory ideas coming from the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lavrov spoke at the start of a meeting in Moscow with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, adding that it is important for Russia to understand U.S. intentions.
Lavrov also referenced last week's U.S. strike on a Syrian airbase, which came in response to a chemical weapons attack, calling the U.S. response "troubling."
Tillerson was more brief in his opening statement, but like Lavrov, he said that Wednesday's talks were happening at an important time and would include a frank discussion of their differences and mutual interests.
The top U.S. diplomat said the lines of communication between the two countries "shall always remain open." He said he wants to understand why certain areas of sharp differences exist and the prospects for narrowing those divides.
G7 ministers meeting Tuesday in the Italian city of Lucca failed to agree on targeted sanctions against the Russian and Syrian military, arguing that an investigation would first have to confirm who in Syria used chemical weapons against civilians in the country last week.