July 10 (UPI) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia Thursday at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The meeting put the Russia-Ukraine war at the center of a trip that was meant to strengthen alliances in Southeast Asia.
After the meeting, Rubio told reporters that Lavrov had offered “a new and different approach” to ending the war. He said it was not “something that guarantees a peace, but it’s a concept that I’ll take back to the president today and here as soon as I finish with you.”
Rubio stressed that he didn’t want to overcompromise.
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“We understand that these things take time and patience, but obviously we’re also frustrated that more progress has not been made, and hopefully we, based on today and in the days to come, will have more clarity about what exactly the Russian position and priorities are in this regard, and can begin to make some progress,” he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “a substantive and frank exchange of views took place concerning the Ukraine settlement, the situation in Iran and Syria.” The statement also noted that Rubio and Lavrov have, “a mutual commitment to finding peaceful solutions to conflict situations.”
Rubio’s meeting comes days after President Donald Trump voiced his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his refusal to have peace talks with Ukraine.
Multiple times this week, Trump said that Ukraine needed more weapons after the Pentagon halted weapons to the war zone. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not consult with Trump before stopping the weapons to Ukraine. This took Rubio by surprise, and Trump said some weapons would continue to Ukraine.
“Putin is not — he’s not treating human beings right,” Trump said on Tuesday. “He’s killing too many people. So, we’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I’ve approved that.”
After Trump’s comment, Russia launched more than 700 drones in an attack on Ukraine, Ukraine’s air force said.
July 10 (UPI) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia Thursday at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The meeting put the Russia-Ukraine war at the center of a trip that was meant to strengthen alliances in Southeast Asia.
After the meeting, Rubio told reporters that Lavrov had offered “a new and different approach” to ending the war. He said it was not “something that guarantees a peace, but it’s a concept that I’ll take back to the president today and here as soon as I finish with you.”
Rubio stressed that he didn’t want to overcompromise.
Related
“We understand that these things take time and patience, but obviously we’re also frustrated that more progress has not been made, and hopefully we, based on today and in the days to come, will have more clarity about what exactly the Russian position and priorities are in this regard, and can begin to make some progress,” he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “a substantive and frank exchange of views took place concerning the Ukraine settlement, the situation in Iran and Syria.” The statement also noted that Rubio and Lavrov have, “a mutual commitment to finding peaceful solutions to conflict situations.”
Rubio’s meeting comes days after President Donald Trump voiced his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his refusal to have peace talks with Ukraine.
Multiple times this week, Trump said that Ukraine needed more weapons after the Pentagon halted weapons to the war zone. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not consult with Trump before stopping the weapons to Ukraine. This took Rubio by surprise, and Trump said some weapons would continue to Ukraine.
“Putin is not — he’s not treating human beings right,” Trump said on Tuesday. “He’s killing too many people. So, we’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I’ve approved that.”
After Trump’s comment, Russia launched more than 700 drones in an attack on Ukraine, Ukraine’s air force said.
