The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he discussed Russian-American relations and the need to end hostilities in Ukraine with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila.
"Met today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial. We discussed the U.S.-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war," he posted on the X social network.
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty senior international correspondent Mike Eckel, the meeting lasted about half an hour.
"Lavrov, Rubio in Manila today. Talks lasted only ~ 30 minutes. Per State Dept: they discussed the U.S.-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Per Russian MFA: discussed restoring full diplomatic staffing, Ukraine, commitment to the Anchorage agreements", he wrote on X.
According to The Guardian, speaking to journalists in Manila after meeting with Lavrov, Rubio stated that he had a "good, frank conversation" regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a "very bloody war," adding that the Russians are now "suffering strikes deep in their territory; something you did not see at the end of the year."
"That’s been the challenge: [finding] an end that both sides can accept. And we’ve tried, and we’ll continue to try to see if we can find a middle ground that brings this about, and we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself. We express that today, and we’ve expressed it in the past," the Secretary of State said.
Rubio noted that achieving an agreement to end the war in Ukraine will require bringing "new ideas" to the table, as the proposals put forward so far were "unacceptable to Ukraine at that time, and I don’t think they would be acceptable to it now; moreover, they would likely be even less acceptable to it today."
"If, when peace comes, it’ll be because of some new idea and some new concepts, and we’re prepared to offer some of those in the right setting and form if the opportunity presents itself and the conditions are right. We’re prepared to play that role in a positive way," he emphasized.
