Rubio and Lavrov ‘confirmed their mutual want to search out peaceable options to conflicts’, Russian Overseas Ministry says.
Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have held uncommon face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Malaysia, discussing the struggle in Ukraine, in addition to developments in Iran and Syria, as Moscow-Washington, DC relations navigate rocky terrain.
“A substantive and frank change of views occurred on the settlement of the state of affairs round Ukraine, the state of affairs round Iran and Syria, in addition to a variety of different worldwide points,” Russia’s Overseas Ministry stated in a press release following the assembly on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Either side reportedly expressed curiosity in easing tensions and resuming dialogue in areas past the battlefield.
Lavrov and Rubio “confirmed their mutual want to search out peaceable options to conflicts, restore Russian-American financial and humanitarian cooperation, and facilitate unimpeded contacts between the societies of the 2 nations”, the ministry added.
The Russian facet described the assembly as constructive, saying dialogue between Moscow and Washington would proceed.
Rubio, talking to reporters after the 50-minute assembly, stated he had delivered a transparent message in regards to the want for progress on the struggle in Ukraine.
“I had a frank and vital dialog with Minister Lavrov,” Rubio stated. “We have to see a roadmap transferring ahead about how this battle can conclude.”
He stated US President Donald Trump remained upset with what Washington, DC views as an absence of flexibility from Moscow.
Trump has been rising more and more annoyed with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian chief was throwing a number of “b*******” at US efforts to finish the struggle that began with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Rubio additionally signalled {that a} assembly along with his Chinese language counterpart Wang Yi might happen throughout the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering. “I believe we’re engaged on that — possibly, possibly we’ll meet,” he stated at a press convention.
The assembly between the Russian and US envoys comes at a time of heightened international polarisation, with ASEAN serving as one of many few venues the place dialogue amongst rival powers nonetheless takes place.
