U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Russia to try to narrow gaps with Russian leaders over a political transition to end Syria's civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine, according to ABC News.

After spending last week at climate talks outside the French capital, Kerry arrived early Tuesday in Moscow, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Assad's future and his potential role in the political transition will be a prime topic of Kerry's conversation with Putin and Lavrov, according to U.S. officials who say the results of the meetings will determine whether or not a new international diplomatic conference on Syria will go ahead as planned at the United Nations on Friday.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks between Lavrov and Kerry are expected to focus on issues of bilateral relations and relevant international problems, including the situation in Syria and fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization banned in Russia, as well as the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

Sources: MENA