In early January, the USA intelligence community released its declassified intelligence report about Russia's meddling in the presidential election. -Russian relations in the wake of the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
Comey's dismissal escalated concerns in both parties that Trump may be trying to undermine an investigation that appears to be gaining steam.
President Donald Trump could meet with Vladimir Putin's top diplomat at the White House on Wednesday.
Asked by reporters about the Comey firing, Lavrov reacted sarcastically, saying, "Was he fired? You're kidding! You're kidding".
According to descriptions of the meetings provided by the White House and the State Department, reports of Russian interference in the US election did not come up despite ongoing USA investigations into alleged attempts.
The White House says Trump emphasized his desire for better relations with Russian Federation.
The meetings were nevertheless somewhat overshadowed by the uproar in Washington over Trump's firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation chief James Comey - the man who was leading a probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the United States presidential election.
During last year's election campaign, Trump called for better relations with Russian Federation.
The world can not wait for the US comedic and political establishments to finish up their focus on Putin to allow for some semblance of a normal diplomatic exchange between Washington and Moscow. The last time Lavrov visited the American capital was before Russian Federation annexed Crimea from Ukraine and intervened militarily in Syria to help President Bashar Assad - actions that fueled U.S.
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The meeting between the two men was expected to be "broad, blunt and businesslike", a senior official told CNN ahead of the meeting.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with Trump were already destined to be a closely watched affair, given the dire state of U.S. White House officials denied any political motive in the move by Trump, who took office on January 20.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (SEHR'-gay LAHV'-rahf) says Russia wants the U.S.to play an active role in helping secure four de-escalation zones in Syria.
Ties between Washington and Moscow have been frayed further by allegations that Russian Federation sought to sway the USA presidential election in Trump's favor past year.
Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates said Monday that she alerted the White House earlier this year that then-Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn could be "essentially blackmailed by the Russians".
The move provoked a storm of criticism among Democrats who said Trump was trying to blunt the Federal Bureau of Investigation probe, and some of the president's fellow Republicans also questioned the timing of the ouster. She says Tillerson told Lavrov that sanctions on Russian Federation over its actions in Ukraine will remain in place until Russian Federation changes course.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a news conference at the Russian Embassy in Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2017.
Despite differences over Syria, it is one area where Russian Federation and Washington are trying to find common ground to jointly battle Islamic State militants and end the six-year war there.
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