Lavrov and Rubio hold UN meeting on Ukraine war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a closed door meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, officials said, in talks that both sides described as focused on the three year war in Ukraine and that lasted just under an hour. The U.S. readout said Rubio reiterated President Donald Trump’s call to halt the killing and stressed the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable settlement. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the pair agreed to continue constructive dialogue and to build on momentum from a recent Alaska summit between the two presidents.

Moscow’s account went further, saying Lavrov emphasized coordinating with Washington to address what Russia calls the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s drift toward NATO and the treatment of Russian culture and communities there. The ministry said Lavrov also accused Kyiv and certain European capitals of promoting schemes that have prolonged the fighting. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, described the meeting as having a constructive, working atmosphere.