‘We have our differences’: Blinken and Lavrov polite but firm in first face-to-face encounter

US secretary of state tells Russian foreign minister he will defend American interests against any aggression from Moscow

The US secretary of state and Russia's foreign minister have sparred politely in Iceland in their first face-to-face encounter, which came as ties between the nations have deteriorated sharply in recent months.

Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov spoke frankly but calmly of their differences as they held talks on the sidelines of an Arctic Council meeting in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, a city with deep history in US-Russian relations.