John Kerry has arrived in Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin to try to fix relations soured by the Ukraine and Syria crises.
The US Secretary of State will meet Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
It is his first trip to Russia since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in April 2014, which has seen Russia seize control of Crimea.
In a statement, Russia's foreign ministry said it hoped Mr Kerry's visit would "normalise bilateral relations on which global stability largely depends".
Russian news agency RIA Novosti has said the two will also discuss Yemen and Iran.
Western nations have accused Russia of supporting separatists in Ukraine as sporadic clashes between government and rebel forces continue in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, despite a ceasefire agreement in February.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims.
The foreign ministry accused the US of being behind the unrest in Ukraine and said Washington was pursuing a policy of trying to isolate Russia on the international stage.
