TODAY: ‘Open dialogue’ witnessed at Obama-Putin meeting; no agreement on Syria reached; Russia sends two warships to the conflict zone. Cooperation on solving missile defense issues possible; Washington says Jackson-Vanik and Magnitksy should not be tied. Navalny urges monetary protest; bakery march banned; criminal charges for 4 more protestors; Sochi and renovations; Putin and judo; forest fires

At their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, President Putin and US President Barack Obama apparently enjoyed ‘beneficial, open dialogue’, to quote Kremlin Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov.  The Washington Post reports the pair ‘shared little eye contact and did not appear to express much personal warmth’ after their two-hour meeting.  Putin told the press inconclusively that many ‘common points’ had been found on the Syria crisis and that discussions would be continued.   ‘[C]rucially, Obama failed to secure the support of Putin for regime change in Syria’, says the Guardian.  Meanwhile it has been reported that Russia is preparing to send two warships to the Syrian port of Tartus, where Moscow operates a strategic naval base, to protect the safety of its nationals.   Mark Adomanis interprets this controversial move here.