World
Rubio, Lavrov hold Ukraine talks on ASEAN sidelines as US seeks to revive peace push
Top diplomats discuss the war in Ukraine, Middle East tensions and bilateral ties, while ASEAN meetings remain dominated by regional security concerns and the South China Sea
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Mnila on Thursday, as Washington sought to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The meeting, held during the annual gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), focused on the state of US-Russia relations and prospects for ending the Ukraine conflict, according to the US State Department.
A State Department spokesperson said the two leaders discussed "the US-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war".
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov reiterated Moscow's opposition to continued Western military assistance to Ukraine, describing further arms supplies as "unacceptable". He also criticised European countries for pursuing what Russia called a strategy aimed at its "strategic defeat".
According to Moscow, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's willingness to pursue a political and diplomatic settlement and its commitment to agreements reached during a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska last year.
The ministers also discussed the situation in the Persian Gulf, cooperation between NASA and Russia's Roscosmos space agency, and the functioning of diplomatic missions in both countries.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Rubio said the United States remained willing to help facilitate negotiations to end the Ukraine war if an opportunity emerged.
He acknowledged that diplomatic efforts had slowed in recent months as attention shifted to the renewed conflict involving Iran, but said Washington remained open to re-engaging.
"We have to have a relationship with the Russian government, even though we have areas of disagreement," Rubio said, noting that the United States and Russia possess the world's two largest nuclear arsenals.
The Ukraine conflict was one of several major issues dominating this week's ASEAN meetings, alongside the Middle East crisis and growing tensions in the South China Sea.
Rubio also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the summit.
His talks with Wang came after a fresh confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea. Rubio described the latest incident as "escalatory" and said such disputes needed to be managed carefully to avoid broader conflict.
China, however, defended its actions, saying its coast guard acted lawfully after Philippine vessels ignored repeated warnings. Beijing urged Manila to stop what it called provocative actions, while the Philippines did not immediately comment.
The South China Sea disputes remain a central issue for ASEAN, with ministers welcoming progress in negotiations on a long-pending code of conduct aimed at preventing armed conflict in the strategically important waterway.