[00:00.00]U.S. diplomats are trying to stand on rapidly shrinking common ground with Russia going into Friday¡¯s talks.
[00:08.16]The latest quake to rock bilateral relations came earlier this week, when President Barack Obama canceled a summit with the Russian president that was set to take place ahead of next month¡¯s G20 conference.
[00:18.89]State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki explained the decision.
[00:22.21]¡°We were not at the point on our progress on a number of these issues where a summit at a presidential level was the most constructive step,¡± said Psaki.
[00:31.25]Issues to be discussed will likely include Moscow¡¯s crackdown on domestic dissent,
[00:34.97]U.S. missile defense plans for Europe and - the final irritation-
[00:38.99]Russia granting asylum to Edward Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for leaking information about its secret surveillance programs. 
[00:46.58]Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the move is a major diplomatic setback.
[00:53.00]"You talk. You do not send a message that is meaningful by not communicating, by not meeting," says Cordesman.
[01:02.47]But the State Department says the man behind the latest disagreement won¡¯t shackle progress on other issues.
[01:08.10]"I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any secret about where the United States stands on Mr. Snowden.
[01:12.63]It is a part, but it is not a large part of what the agenda will be on Friday,¡± said spokeswoman Psaki.
[01:19.01]Syria¡¯s bloody civil war is also a point of contention. And it¡¯s one that both Anthony Cordesman and the Middle East Institute¡¯s Graeme Bannerman say will be difficult to move forward.
[01:30.19]"Russia does not trust the United States in the Middle East. We want Russia to adopt our policy and they are not prepared to do so," said Bannerman.
[01:37.35]"A lot of it is going to be simply agreeing not to do things, agreeing to communicate, trying to find a way to influence from the outside.
[01:48.98]After the 2+2 talks in the morning, Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel will meet separately with their counterparts in the afternoon.
[01:55.94]The goal is to keep the dialogue between the two countries flowing, even as recent disagreements threaten to dam up progress.