Rubio and Lavrov to Meet Over Ukraine War
Lavrov and Rubio will meet in Manila on July 23 to discuss Ukraine, though previous high-level talks have failed to end the conflict and Ukraine itself remains excluded from negotiations.
According to Brussels Signal, Lavrov made the announcement on July 22 during a press conference following ministerial talks between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Russian foreign minister indicated that the meeting was arranged after the two diplomats spoke briefly at a reception in the Philippine capital.
The discussions are scheduled to take place during the first half of the day and will focus on efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis. Lavrov told reporters that Moscow is operating under the assumption that Washington has not withdrawn proposals discussed during a summit in Anchorage between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on August 15, 2025.
The Russian minister stated he intends to question Rubio directly about Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that a settlement may be within reach. Trump claimed on July 6 that an end to hostilities was closer than most observers believed and that Putin wanted the war to conclude. Despite such optimistic statements, diplomatic initiatives have stagnated, with US-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi and Geneva earlier this year failing to produce substantive results.
Rubio confirmed to reporters in Manila that Ukraine would feature prominently in his discussions with Lavrov. The secretary of state argued that the conflict has prevented Washington and Moscow from finding agreement on other issues, and maintained that the United States remains the only power capable of facilitating a resolution to the war.
Ukraine Excluded From High-Level Talks
Notably absent from the substantive negotiations is Ukraine itself. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was invited to Manila only for a ceremonial event marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, but will not participate in the ministerial sessions where Rubio and Lavrov are meeting.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also traveled to the Philippine capital for separate EU-ASEAN meetings, attending as a dialogue partner rather than as a participant in the US-Russia discussions.
The Manila encounter follows NATO’s summit in Turkey’s capital earlier this month, which concluded with a commitment of €70 billion in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine this year. That pledge is being financed almost entirely by European allies and Canada, underscoring the shifting burden of support for Kyiv.
Lavrov and Rubio have maintained periodic contact since early 2025, including meetings on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering in Kuala Lumpur in July of that year and at the United Nations in New York the following September. However, these diplomatic exchanges have yet to translate into concrete progress toward ending the conflict.
With information from Brussels Signal
