US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow for talks to try to bridge gaps with Russia over the political process to end Syria’s civil war, the BBC reports.
He is due to have meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The US and Russia have long disagreed on what role Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should play in the process.
The US wants Mr Assad to stand down but Russia says only the Syrian people can decide his fate.
Mr Kerry is to try to prepare the ground for an international meeting on Syria mooted for later this week.