Rubio and Lavrov Meet in Manila to Discuss Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met for approximately 30 minutes on July 23, 2026, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, Philippines. This encounter marked the first face-to-face meeting between the two diplomats since September 2025 and was requested by the United States.

The talks focused on conflicts involving Russia, Ukraine, and Iran, as well as the normalization of diplomatic mission operations. Lavrov briefed Rubio on the combat line and urged the US to stop supplying arms to Ukraine, characterizing such deliveries as unacceptable. He condemned European policies seeking a "strategic defeat" for Russia while maintaining that Moscow remains ready for a political-diplomatic resolution.

Central to the discussion was a dispute over an August 2025 summit in Anchorage, Alaska. While Rubio previously stated that Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump reached no final agreement there, Lavrov asserted that Russia accepted the US settlement proposals presented during those talks. The meeting is viewed as an effort by Rubio to revive peace negotiations that President Trump has sought to mediate since early 2025, though those efforts had largely stalled due to US involvement in the Middle East. The two officials agreed to maintain contact through their respective foreign ministries.