A high-ranking U.S. diplomat recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks. The exact topics of the conversations between these two political heavyweights are not publicly disclosed, but it is suspected that they revolve around international issues of mutual interest. The nature of the discussions and their outcome are closely watched by Japan and the rest of the world.
Japan is particularly interested in these talks as both the U.S. and Russia are significant players on the world stage that directly affect the country's overseas interests and security. The Japanese public and government pay close attention to these dialogues to understand the direction of international politics and its impact on Japan.
This might parallel to a similar meeting between U.S. officials and EU leaders. Both the U.S. and EU continuously engage in diplomatic dialogues touching on various matters from security to economics. Just like in Japan, these meetings are highly scrutinized for their potential global impact.