International Desk – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Philippines capital Manila, apparently to discuss the ongoing conflict involving Russia and Ukraine.
The two diplomats, however, did not make any public statement after the meeting, which took place on Thursday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.
It was the first meeting, lasting 35 minutes, between the top diplomats of Russia and the US since September 2025, according to a report by RT.
Referring to Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the report said the US requested the meeting, which was widely seen as an attempt by Rubio to revive peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has sought to mediate a deal between the warring nations since returning to the White House in early 2025.
Talks have so far failed to produce any breakthroughs and have largely stalled since the US became embroiled in the conflict in the Middle East.
Moscow has praised Trump’s efforts while largely blaming Ukraine’s European backers for trying to sabotage the negotiations, the report said.
Earlier this month, Lavrov argued that the West is not seeking a settlement in good faith, adding that “the reserve of goodwill and hope has been exhausted.”
President Vladimir Putin affirmed last month that Russia is sticking to its original terms, including demands that Ukraine recognize Russia’s new borders and abandon its plans to join NATO in favor of permanent neutrality, it added.
