German Chancellor Angela Merkel flies to a Black Sea resort on Sunday for a one-day meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Merkel’s meeting with Putin is part of a long-planned working visit. No major breakthrough is expected from the talks, although the leaders are likely to touch on several hot-button issues.

Putin will try hard to improve its reputation as a key energy supplier, according to Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor in chief of the “Russia in Global Affairs” journal.
“I think that this will be actively discussed since the European Union is deeply worried and Russia is visibly upset by the impression it has produced,” Lukyanov says. ”Putin will probably try to appease Merkel and convince her that this [dispute] was a practical difficulty that has been overcome.”

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