MOSCOW, Aug. 29 -- The statement runs to two sentences and manages to say nothing that could be checked.

Sergey Lavrov spoke by telephone with Mauro Vieira, Brazil's foreign minister, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday. The conversation took place in what the ministry called a traditionally constructive and trusting manner. The two discussed a number of bilateral and international issues, including the schedule of upcoming contacts.

That is the whole thing. No subject is named. No position is stated. No date is given for the contacts whose schedule was apparently the point of discussing. There is no Brazilian readout to set against it, and Itamaraty has not said what, if anything, Vieira raised.

Which raises the obvious questi...