Rubio and Lavrov meet in Manila to discuss Ukraine war

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum in Manila on Thursday, July 23, 2026, with the ongoing war in Ukraine as a central topic. The meeting, which lasted over half an hour, marked a high-profile diplomatic engagement as both sides explored the potential for renewed U.S. mediation efforts.

Rubio told reporters in Manila on Wednesday that he planned to raise the conflict, stating the U.S. remained open to playing a role in ending it if an opportunity presented itself. He acknowledged that American diplomatic efforts had stalled in recent months but said the meeting would explore whether talks could be renewed. Lavrov, speaking ahead of the meeting, said he intended to ask Rubio about recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump predicting that a settlement was getting close. The Russian foreign minister also referenced the 2025 presidential summit in Anchorage, Alaska, carrying what he called key quotations from the statements made there by Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he said demonstrated important progress.

The diplomatic encounter occurs against a backdrop of...