U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel held talks with visiting Russian National Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev at the Pentagon on Tuesday, with their discussion focusing on bilateral and international issues, a Defense Department press release said.
"Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with Russian Federation Security Council Secretary-General Nikolai Patrushev today at the Pentagon to discuss a range of issues including missile defense, increasing military to military cooperation and the ongoing crisis in Syria," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little was quoted as saying in the press release.
"Secretary Hagel looks forward to continued dialogue with Russian security leaders and meeting with his counterpart, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in the future," Little added.
Patrushev is currently on an official visit to the United States. Earlier, Russian media reports had indicated that Patrushev will hand over a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to U.S. President Barack Obama in person when they meet during the course of his ongoing U.S. trip.
According to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, Putin's letter is in "response to Obama's message that U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon brought to Moscow a month ago."
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Market Analysis
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.