US Senator Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a frank meeting in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' gathering. Rubio said the US is open to "new ideas" and willing to play a constructive role in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Moscow reiterated opposition to further Western arms deliveries and said it would negotiate only on terms tied to understandings it attributes to a reported Putin–Trump Anchorage meeting. The talks also touched on the Middle East and resumed space-agency contacts.
Rubio Says US Open To 'New Ideas' To End Ukraine War After Manila Meeting With Lavrov
FILE PHOTO - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio chat ahead of the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting. (is associated with: «Rubio looking for 'new ideas' to end Ukraine war after Lavrov talks») Russian Foreign Ministry Press S/TASS via ZUMA Press/dpa
US Senator Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' gathering, discussing the war in Ukraine and broader bilateral issues.
Rubio described the exchange as a "good" and "frank conversation," saying the United States is open to exploring "new ideas" and is prepared to play a "constructive role" in efforts to bring the conflict to an end if the right setting and conditions emerge.
"I think both sides should have an incentive to bring it to an end," Rubio said. "When peace comes, it would be because of some new ideas and some new concepts, and we are prepared to offer some of those in the right setting and forum if the opportunity presents itself and the conditions are right."
According to statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian media reports, Lavrov set out Moscow's view of the battlefield situation and warned against further Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. The ministry also said Lavrov accused some European countries of trying to destabilize Russia.
Russian outlets reported the meeting — which they said was initiated by US side — lasted about 35 minutes. The Russian Foreign Ministry added that Lavrov emphasized Moscow's willingness to negotiate an end to the war, but only on terms grounded in the "understandings" Moscow attributes to a reported meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage last August; the ministry said the precise content of those understandings has not been made public.
Moscow has repeatedly said it would consider a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew from parts of the Donbass region that are under Russian control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected territorial concessions to Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also said Rubio and Lavrov discussed developments in the Middle East, though it provided no details. Moscow, an ally of Iran, has frequently criticized US strikes on the Islamic Republic.
Lavrov welcomed the resumption of full-scale contacts between the two countries' space agencies; Russia and the United States continue to operate the International Space Station jointly. The ministry said both sides agreed to keep channels of communication open between Moscow and Washington.
Rubio and Lavrov had a brief exchange earlier in the week, and their previous formal meeting took place in July 2025 in Malaysia, likewise on the sidelines of an ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting.
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