Addis Ababa – The top American and Russian diplomats have circled each other warily in the Ethiopian capital.
Both US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid official visits this week to Addis Ababa, but don’t appear to have met.
As their two countries trade accusations over Syria, Ukraine and even the Oscars, their governments are trolling each other on social media, even trading barbs over who’s to blame for the lack of a sit-down in Addis Ababa.
At least publicly, Moscow has been calling for a meeting, and insisting that it has formally asked Washington if one could be scheduled but has received no response.
The United States insists that’s not so and says that Russia hasn’t formally requested a meeting.