MOSCOW — The United States and Russia need to find “common ground” to end Syria’s civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.

Opening talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov before seeing President Vladimir Putin, Kerry said the world benefits when great powers agree in their approaches to major crises.

“Even when there have been differences between us, we have been able to work effectively on specific issues,” Kerry said as he began what are expected to be difficult discussions in the Russian capital. “Today, I hope we can find some common ground.”

Russia and the U.S. are at odds over the mechanics of a political transition aimed at halting the war in Syria, as well as the military approach to fighting the Islamic State group.