Rubio Lavrov meeting brings no quick path to Ukraine war deal
Marco Rubio said the U.S. is ready to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine, but warned that any settlement will take new ideas and time.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Rubio Lavrov meeting in Manila put Russia’s war in Ukraine back on the diplomatic agenda, but U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that no fast settlement is in sight. The Associated Press reported that Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of an annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers’ gathering.
Rubio told reporters that the Trump administration is ready to help end the war if circumstances allow, while acknowledging that earlier U.S.-backed efforts had not produced results. He said President Donald Trump remained committed to pursuing an agreement “if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.”
What did Rubio say about the Ukraine war?
Rubio said the central problem remains finding terms that both Russia and Ukraine could accept. He told reporters that Washington would keep looking for common ground and was prepared to help if a real opening emerged.
According to the AP, Rubio said negotiators would need “new suggestions and new ideas” that could work for both sides. He also said U.S. military support for Ukraine has not changed, with NATO allies buying weapons and transferring them to Kyiv.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov told Rubio that further arms supplies to Ukraine were unacceptable. The ministry also said Lavrov accused European countries of seeking Russia’s “strategic defeat” and repeated Moscow’s stated readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement.
The ministry said Lavrov referred to agreements reached at a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last year. AP reported that Lavrov did not engage much with reporters after the meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately said Thursday that his priority is finding a path back to negotiations, according to the AP. Rubio’s comments came as U.S. attempts to broker a Ukraine settlement have been overshadowed by renewed conflict involving Iran, the AP reported.
ASEAN talks also put Asia tensions in focus
Rubio met Lavrov during three days of closed-door meetings in the Philippines that also covered conflict in the Middle East and disputes in the South China Sea, according to the AP. Rubio said the United States remains engaged in Asia every day despite crises elsewhere, citing partnerships and economic ties in the region.
Rubio also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and said they discussed a recent confrontation between Chinese and Filipino forces at a disputed shoal. Rubio called the incident escalatory and said U.S.-China conflict, whether economic or otherwise, would have major global effects.
China’s coast guard said Thursday it took lawful steps to drive away two Philippine ships after repeated warnings. The Philippine coast guard said the vessels were bringing fuel aid to Filipino fishermen and accused China of illegal and coercive actions, including an attempted water-cannon strike that missed.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also criticized a recent Chinese navy missile test from a nuclear-powered submarine, saying at a Manila forum that the lack of notification to affected countries was destabilizing. China said the launch was part of annual exercises and that countries in the area received appropriate notice.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.