BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO and Russia ambassadors are meeting in a fresh attempt to improve relations, which have sunk to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.

The diplomats met in Brussels Monday for the third time this year, with the military alliance insisting on talking about the conflict in Ukraine and Russia's role there.

The U.S.-led alliance also wants to discuss ways to avoid incidents and accidents between Russian and NATO forces.

Russia has annoyed NATO with snap war games or by buzzing the alliance's ships and aircraft with fighter jets, as well as what NATO sees as aggressive use of propaganda.

Douglas Lute, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told ABC news on Sunday that the allies "will bring up with our Russian counterpart this pattern of malign influence."