Lavrov Proposes In-Person Meeting with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as Moscow Signals Diplomatic Overture

Lavrov Proposes In-Person Meeting with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state news agency RIA Novosti that he is prepared to meet face-to-face with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, portraying the offer as part of efforts to keep diplomatic channels open even as Moscow maintains firm conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. The remark was first reported by Reuters.

Lavrov said the two men "understand the need for regular communication," adding that telephone contacts continue and that they are "ready to hold face-to-face meetings when necessary" to discuss Ukraine and broader bilateral issues.

Context and Recent Developments

The outreach followed a high-profile Russian weapons announcement in which President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had conducted a "successful test of a nuclear-powered underwater torpedo." Two days later, on Oct. 31, the United States canceled a planned Budapest summit between President Donald Trump and President Putin, citing Russia's uncompromising position on demands related to Ukraine.

Diplomatic engagements between Russian and U.S.-aligned delegations have continued intermittently this year. On Feb. 18 in Riyadh, delegations led by Lavrov and Rubio agreed to restore normal diplomatic mission operations and establish technical teams. A follow-up meeting on Feb. 27 in Istanbul addressed embassy access, staffing, banking and restoring direct air links. The two men met again on July 10 in Kuala Lumpur, and on Sept. 24 at the U.N. General Assembly in New York Rubio urged Moscow to take "meaningful steps toward a durable resolution," according to a U.S. State Department readout.

Signalling, Internal Politics and Moscow’s Conditions

An anonymous Moscow-based journalist speaking to Fox News Digital described the recent weapons test as political signalling rather than an exclusively military move. "At the moment, Russia and the U.S. are trying to feel each other out in the diplomatic field. Nuclear test turmoil is a diplomatic lever and nothing more," the source said, adding that leaders may be using brinkmanship to test reactions.

The source also said the Kremlin remains committed to its objectives in Ukraine: "The Kremlin still wants to reach the objective of the 'special military operation' and is going to play it at a steady pace until Ukraine crumbles or something else happens."

Speculation that Lavrov had fallen out of favor intensified after he missed a major Kremlin meeting, but Reuters and the Kremlin later dismissed those reports. Lavrov’s continued public appearances and recent statements suggest he remains in his post.

Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s conditions for ending the conflict, saying — according to Reuters — that "no one questions the territorial integrity of Russia and the choice of the residents of Crimea, Donbas and Novorossiya." He also said Moscow is awaiting U.S. confirmation that earlier "Anchorage agreements" on frozen assets remain in force.

The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

Sources: RIA Novosti, Reuters, Fox News Digital, U.S. State Department readout.