Pompeo cancels Berlin trip at last minute

BERLIN- Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has canceled a planned visit to Berlin on May 7, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said, citing scheduling reasons.

"Unfortunately, we must reschedule the Berlin meetings due to pressing issues. We look forward to rescheduling this important set of meetings. The Secretary looks forward to being in Berlin soon," the U.S. Embassy cited a State Department spokesperson as saying.

In the meantime, Pompeo will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the southern Russian city of Sochi on May 14, the RIA news agency cited a source in Russia's foreign ministry as saying on May 7.  

The two men are expected to discuss Venezuela's political crisis and North Korea's nuclear programme.

There will be no shortage of other subjects for Pompeo and Lavrov to discuss as Russia and the United States remain at odds over Syria, Ukraine and nuclear arms control, as well as the detention by Russia of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. ex-Marine, on espionage charges he denies.