 FILE PHOTO: A combination of file photos showing Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, January 15, 2016 and U.S. President Donald Trump posing for a photo in New York City, U.S., May 17, 2016. In addition to his talks with Merkel, Putin is scheduled to talk by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump later on May 2.
– President Trump has an important phone call on his docket Tuesday: He'll be speaking with Vladimir Putin at 12:30pm Eastern. The talk comes less than a month after Trump said US-Russian relations "may be at an all-time low," notes the Wall Street Journal. The most recent tension flared when the US accused Moscow of lying about a chemical attack on civilians in Syria, and Reuters expect Syria's civil war to be a topic of discussion. Trump and Putin have spoken twice by phone since Trump took office, notes Radio Free Europe, which adds that the two leaders have not scheduled a face-to-face meeting. Both are expected to attend the G20 summit in Germany in July. Before talking with Trump, Putin will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Black Sea city of Sochi. It's their first meeting in two years, with ties strained in the wake of Russia's military action in Ukraine, reports NPR.