Top US, Russian military chiefs meet in Helsinki

Washington: Top US and Russian military officers held an unannounced meeting on Tuesday in Helsinki in an effort to maintain dialogue after Moscow's crushing defeat of American ally Georgia, a US military official said.

Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Russian General Nikolai Makarov, who heads Russia's general staff, to discuss a wide range of issues during a trip to Europe by Mullen, the military official said.

US-Russian relations have been under heightened strain since Russian forces overran areas of the former Soviet republic of Georgia in August.