"With Russia, I think it's fair to say there is just a plethora of issues, every issue in the region," said a senior US defense official briefing reporters ahead of Rumsfeld's trip.

Rumsfeld, who arrived here Friday from talks with Ukrainian leaders in Crimea, had a full schedule of cultural events as well, which US officials hoped would provide opportunities to informally sound out Ivanov on recent trends in Russian policy.

"There have been reports as you know about disturbing trends in Russia as far as trends about democratic and political development, media freedoms," the US defense official said.

"These are also areas I would expect we would have discussions with the minister to get his perspective," he said.

Rumsfeld, who visited Afghanistan earlier this week, intended to brief Ivanov on the situation there as the country braces for presidential elections in October amid fears of violence by Taliban insurgents.

Likewise in Iraq, Rumsfeld has been calling for contributions of foreign troops to protect the UN mission that will help organize elections there even as US troops move to crush a Shiite insurgency in Najaf.

US concerns about Iran's nuclear program, as well as its longstanding opposition to a Russian deal to build a nuclear reactor in Iran, also were expected to come up in the talks here.

In a stop in Azerbaijan this week, Rumsfeld said Iran's nuclear ambitions were a major worry for the world amid fears that states possessing nuclear weapons might cooperate with terrorists.

Russian concerns about a US missile defense system which is due to be operational later this year also were expected to come up.

US officials said Rumsfeld was prepared to discuss cooperation with Moscow on missile defense.

Another thorny issue is Georgia, where tensions have flared between Moscow and the new government of President Mikhail Saakashvili over the country's breakaway South Ossetia region.

Rumsfeld in a visit to Georgia in December publicly urged Moscow to make good on commitments under a 1999 agreement to withdaw its troops from the country.

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