Key facts
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila on July 23.
- Rubio stated that new ideas are needed to reach a peace agreement for the Ukraine war.
- Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's readiness for a diplomatic settlement based on proposals from Presidents Trump and Putin.
- Russia demanded the U.S. halt weapons supplies to Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila on July 23, with both officials discussing the war in Ukraine and potential paths toward a settlement. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' meeting.
Rubio stated that ending the conflict would require "new ideas" and that the U.S. is prepared to play a constructive role if the conditions are right. He indicated that previous proposals had been unacceptable to Ukraine and would likely be even less so now.