German Chancellor, Angela Merkel has begun talks with President Vladimir Putin on her first visit to Russia since 2015.
The meeting, at Mr Putin’s summer residence in Sochi, comes at a low point in bilateral relations over the war in Syria and Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
They are expected to discuss both issues during their meeting – but no breakthroughs are expected.
Mr Putin will then meet Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.
Ties between Russia and Germany have worsened since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea in Ukraine, with Germany being a driving force behind the European Union sanctions imposed in response.
