Trump's defense chief says weighs talks with Russian counterpart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday he was considering the possibility of the first talks in years between the defense chiefs of the United States and Russia, a possibility first reported by Reuters on July 17. "I am considering meeting with my counterpart, but there's been no decision," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. The last time a U.S. defense secretary even spoke telephonically with a Russian defense minister was in 2015, as relations between Moscow and Washington soured. It was not immediately clear when the last face-to-face meeting took place. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Jonathan Oatis)