Long-shot pitch to Russia for help in Syria peace deal
In his first visit to the country since Moscow's military incursion into Ukraine, Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Russia Tuesday morning to meet with President Vladimir Putin -- their first meeting in two years.
U.S.-Russian relations are now at their lowest point since the Cold War, so it is surprising that Kerry flew to Putin's home turf, especially since the administration believes Russia was behind the recent hacking of U.S. government email accounts. Kerry will make a long-shot pitch to enlist Russian support in brokering a peace deal in Syria, reports CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan.
Kerry will ask for a pullback in Ukraine, as Russian troops mass at the border. In a sign of how difficult this will be, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement ahead of Kerry's visit blaming "unfriendly actions by Washington" as the cause of that crisis.
Despite that, Washington needs Moscow's support for any nuclear deal with Iran. With that impending June deadline, U.S. officials said the value of this visit is simply getting a chance to make their case directly to Putin himself.