US, Russian diplomats agree to work with Ukrainian officials

WASHINGTON — The top U.S. and Russian diplomats agreed Sunday to work with Ukrainian government officials to ease the crisis triggered by Russia’s annexation of Crimea, but remained far apart on other key points after four hours of negotiations in Paris.

U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the meeting constructive. Lavrov’s remarks suggested Moscow may now be more willing to work with the interim Ukrainian government, which it has previously dismissed as illegitimate.