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| Kerry, Hagel and Russians Will Meet on Issues Imperiling Obama-Putin Visit | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel plan to meet here in Washington with their Russian counterparts on Friday for a day of talks that could determine the fate of a September summit meeting between President Obama and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. | WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel plan to meet here in Washington with their Russian counterparts on Friday for a day of talks that could determine the fate of a September summit meeting between President Obama and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. |
| State Department officials on Tuesday afternoon confirmed the meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergei K. Shoigu, the defense minister. Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said the four officials would discuss “a number of pressing bilateral and global issues.” | State Department officials on Tuesday afternoon confirmed the meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergei K. Shoigu, the defense minister. Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said the four officials would discuss “a number of pressing bilateral and global issues.” |
| “There’s a lot to discuss,” Ms. Psaki said. “A lot of issues we work together on. I expect those to be the thrust of the conversation.” | “There’s a lot to discuss,” Ms. Psaki said. “A lot of issues we work together on. I expect those to be the thrust of the conversation.” |
| Russian officials sounded a similar theme. | Russian officials sounded a similar theme. |
| “We expect a very intensive discussion, all the more so because there are quite a few sharp, controversial and difficult questions,” Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, said Tuesday. | “We expect a very intensive discussion, all the more so because there are quite a few sharp, controversial and difficult questions,” Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, said Tuesday. |
| At the top of that list of difficult questions is certain to be the status of next month’s planned meeting between Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin, which has been in doubt for weeks because of issues that include Russia’s refusal to return Edward J. Snowden to the United States to face charges of leaking national security secrets. | At the top of that list of difficult questions is certain to be the status of next month’s planned meeting between Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin, which has been in doubt for weeks because of issues that include Russia’s refusal to return Edward J. Snowden to the United States to face charges of leaking national security secrets. |
| American officials have signaled that Russia’s decision to grant Mr. Snowden temporary asylum undermined the relationship between the countries and could affect whether Mr. Obama agrees to travel to Moscow next month. He is scheduled to be in St. Petersburg for a meeting of the Group of 20 scheduled for Sept. 5 and 6, and had planned to go from there to meet Mr. Putin. | |
| On Monday, Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said a decision was forthcoming. | On Monday, Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said a decision was forthcoming. |
| “I think it’s fair to say that you can expect that we’ll have a decision to announce in coming days about that specific issue,” Mr. Carney told reporters. “We obviously disagree with the Russians very strongly about the decision they’ve made on Mr. Snowden.” | “I think it’s fair to say that you can expect that we’ll have a decision to announce in coming days about that specific issue,” Mr. Carney told reporters. “We obviously disagree with the Russians very strongly about the decision they’ve made on Mr. Snowden.” |
| But Mr. Carney said the administration also disagreed with Russia on “a number of other issues, including Syria.” And he said that the question of whether the two presidents met would be determined by whether such a gathering could help make progress on a broader set of concerns. | But Mr. Carney said the administration also disagreed with Russia on “a number of other issues, including Syria.” And he said that the question of whether the two presidents met would be determined by whether such a gathering could help make progress on a broader set of concerns. |
| “We are evaluating that against not just our disagreement over Mr. Snowden, but some of the other issues where we have failed to see, thus far, eye to eye,” Mr. Carney said. “And once we have fully assessed the utility of a summit, we’ll make an announcement.” | “We are evaluating that against not just our disagreement over Mr. Snowden, but some of the other issues where we have failed to see, thus far, eye to eye,” Mr. Carney said. “And once we have fully assessed the utility of a summit, we’ll make an announcement.” |
| Russian officials said they expected the presidential summit meeting to go on as planned. And they waved aside the assertion by the United States that the decision on Mr. Snowden should affect whether Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin confront their disagreements face to face. | Russian officials said they expected the presidential summit meeting to go on as planned. And they waved aside the assertion by the United States that the decision on Mr. Snowden should affect whether Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin confront their disagreements face to face. |
| Russia’s decision to grant Mr. Snowden asylum, Mr. Ryabkov said Tuesday, had been blown out of proportion and threatened to undermine cooperation on important international issues, including the conflict in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program and the winding down of the American-led military operations in Afghanistan. | Russia’s decision to grant Mr. Snowden asylum, Mr. Ryabkov said Tuesday, had been blown out of proportion and threatened to undermine cooperation on important international issues, including the conflict in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program and the winding down of the American-led military operations in Afghanistan. |
| “The usefulness of contacts at the highest level is obvious to us,” he said. He added that criticism of Russia’s handling of Mr. Snowden’s appeal was “simply absurd.” | “The usefulness of contacts at the highest level is obvious to us,” he said. He added that criticism of Russia’s handling of Mr. Snowden’s appeal was “simply absurd.” |
| That issue seems sure to be discussed by the four officials when they meet in Washington. Officials in the United States said that the meeting had long been planned, but that the issue of Mr. Snowden and the implications for the summit meeting were sure to come up. | That issue seems sure to be discussed by the four officials when they meet in Washington. Officials in the United States said that the meeting had long been planned, but that the issue of Mr. Snowden and the implications for the summit meeting were sure to come up. |
| Ms. Psaki reiterated on Tuesday that “we would like to see Mr. Snowden returned to the United States.” | Ms. Psaki reiterated on Tuesday that “we would like to see Mr. Snowden returned to the United States.” |
| But American officials stressed that the standoff over the summit meeting was the result of more than just Mr. Snowden. The relationship between Russia and the United States has bogged down over questions about nuclear weapons, a dispute over what to do in Syria, questions about Iran and other issues. | But American officials stressed that the standoff over the summit meeting was the result of more than just Mr. Snowden. The relationship between Russia and the United States has bogged down over questions about nuclear weapons, a dispute over what to do in Syria, questions about Iran and other issues. |
| Mr. Lavrov said Tuesday at a news conference in Rome that imposing new sanctions on Iran — like those proposed in a bill passed last week by the House of Representatives — would not be viewed as productive by Russians. He also discussed the need to move ahead with Syrian peace talks that he and Mr. Kerry agreed to in Moscow in May. | |
| “The more we delay calling it, the more victims there will be among civilians,” Mr. Lavrov said, according to the Interfax news agency. He blamed the Syrian rebels for resisting opening talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s government. | “The more we delay calling it, the more victims there will be among civilians,” Mr. Lavrov said, according to the Interfax news agency. He blamed the Syrian rebels for resisting opening talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s government. |
| Mr. Snowden, meantime, remained in seclusion, having made no public appearances or statements since he left Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow on Thursday. On Tuesday, his lawyer, Anatoly G. Kucherena, said in an interview that Mr. Snowden had received an official residence permit required for any foreigner to live in the country, though he again declined to discuss his client’s exact whereabouts. | |
| He also said he had extended an official invitation to help Mr. Snowden’s father and friends obtain visas to visit him in Russia. | |
| Michael D. Shear reported from Washington, and Steven Lee Myers from Moscow. |