Because of Syria, Merkel meets Putin

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

Merkel's present-day trip to the Russian town of Soci is the first after a year, and comes at a time of tensions between Berlin and Moscow. Germany has condemned the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula as well as support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.

However, once it gets its fourth mandate, Merkel is trying to get closer to Putin in an effort to shed light on long-term crises.