Rubio, Lavrov hold Manila talks as Ukraine diplomacy stalls
The US and Russian foreign ministers met during ASEAN meetings as Kyiv sought to restart negotiations and Moscow criticized Western arms supplies.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Thursday in Manila for talks that included Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the US State Department and Russia’s Foreign Ministry. The meeting put the conflict back into direct US-Russian diplomacy as efforts to end the war remain stalled, AFP and AP reported.
The encounter took place on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Pasay, Metro Manila, AFP and AP reported. Russian media said the discussion lasted a little more than 30 minutes.
The US State Department gave a brief account of the meeting, saying through a spokesperson that Rubio and Lavrov discussed the state of US-Russian ties and the need to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to a close. The department did not release further details on any proposals or outcomes.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Lavrov told Rubio that Moscow remained ready to pursue a political and diplomatic resolution. The ministry said Lavrov also reiterated Russia’s support for proposals associated with an August 2025 meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Lavrov used the meeting to criticize military assistance to Ukraine, according to the Russian ministry. It said he called continued weapons deliveries to Kyiv unacceptable and accused European governments of pursuing policies aimed at defeating Russia strategically.
The meeting came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had spoken with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about restarting diplomacy. In a post on X on Thursday, Zelenskyy described the exchange as “a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy.”
Rubio had signaled before the meeting that Washington still viewed a possible diplomatic role for the United States as open. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, he said the Ukraine war had limited the ability of Washington and Moscow to cooperate on other issues, while adding that the US would still look for possible areas of agreement.
“We’d like to see that war come to an end,” Rubio told reporters. He said the United States remained willing to help end the conflict “if that opportunity presents itself.”
Lavrov also indicated ahead of the talks that he expected the discussion to be useful. He told reporters Wednesday that it was good to ask questions and receive answers, and said he planned to ask Rubio about Trump’s recent statements suggesting a settlement could be nearing.
The two diplomats were also expected to discuss the Middle East, AFP and AP reported. Moscow has criticized US strikes on Iran, a Russian ally.
Rubio and Lavrov had already spoken briefly at a gala dinner Tuesday, AFP and AP reported. Both also attended an ASEAN Regional Forum meeting on Thursday morning.
The diplomacy unfolded against continued fighting. Trump has backed Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, saying they could help end the war, while Ukraine has increased attacks on refineries, oil depots and cargo ships at sea, causing fuel shortages in Russia, AFP and AP reported. In late June, Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least 30 people in Kyiv, according to the agencies.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.