Kremlin, before meeting with Trump adviser, asks if U.S. wants better ties

[August 22, 2018]    MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday it needed to understand if there was political will in Washington to cooperate with Russia as it prepared for a meeting between U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev.

The sun sets behind the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower and St. Basil's Cathedral during the soccer World Cup in Moscow, Russia June 18, 2018. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo

The two men are due to meet in Geneva for talks on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that President Vladimir Putin had met his Security Council on Wednesday to discuss problems in relations with the United States ahead of the meeting.

(Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

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