Jane Onyanga-Omara, and David Jackson

USA TODAY

President Trump met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday, just one day after firing James Comey, the FBI director overseeing an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump and Lavrov discussed paths to resolving the Syrian civil war, the Russian incursion into Ukraine, and the Middle East conflict, according to a statement from the White House. They also discussed ways to improve relations between the two countries, the statement added. "The President further emphasized his desire to build a better relationship between the United States and Russia."

In brief comments to reporters, Trump said the Comey case had no effect "at all" on his meeting Lavrov, and he defended the firing of the FBI director because "he wasn't doing a good job."

The FBI, along with several congressional committees, are focusing on whether there was any collusion between Trump campaign associates to Russia during the last year's election.

The U.S. intelligence community has accused Moscow of carrying out a campaign of cyberattacks against Democratic political institutions to influence the American election, and leaking stolen material to be published on websites such as WikiLeaks. Trump has denied any connections and described the Russia story as a "hoax."

The timing for the meeting drew special attention since Lavrov, who last visited Washington in 2013, is the highest-level Russian official to meet with Trump since he took office in January.

The White House meeting also featured a key figure in the investigation: Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired after misleading his colleagues about his conversations with Kislyak before the inauguration.

Meanwhile, in Russia, President Vladimir Putin told CBS News that the Comey firing would have "no effect" on U.S.-Russian relations. "We have nothing to do with that," Putin said.

Lavrov also met earlier Wednesday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department.

As he welcomed Lavrov in the Treaty Room, Tillerson said he looks forward to continuing a dialogue the two began in Moscow “on a very broad range of topics.”

Before reporters assembled there, Lavrov appeared to make a joke about Comey's firing.

When a reporter asked if the sudden firing Tuesday “cast a shadow over your talks,” Lavrov responded with a deadpan joke.

“Was he fired?” He asked. When the reporter answered in the affirmative, Lavrov quipped: “You are kidding. You are kidding.”

He then waived his hand with a dismissive nod of his head, and walked away with a smiling Tillerson.

Tillerson met with Putin at the Kremlin last month amid tensions over a U.S. airstrike against a Syria air base blamed for a chemical attack by the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Russian ally. The attack killed scores of civilians.

Trump said following that meeting that relations between the U.S. and Russia "may be at an all-time low.”

"The world's two foremost nuclear owners cannot have this kind of relationship," Tillerson said at the time.

Wednesday's meetings could signal progress between the two nations since then.

On Wednesday, Tillerson and Lavrov will discuss Ukraine, Syria, and "bilateral issues," the State Department said.

"On Ukraine, the sides will discuss the need to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and resolve the conflict through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. On Syria, the Secretary intends to discuss efforts to de-escalate violence, provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, and set the stage for a political settlement of the conflict," the department said in a statement.

Contributing: Oren Dorell

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