During a meeting in Malaysia at the ASEAN forum, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in a “frank and important” discussion about new ideas for resolving the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The one-hour session focused on potential roadmaps for peace, with Rubio expressing hope for greater Russian flexibility.
Both sides emphasized the need for continued dialogue as a necessary step toward finding a resolution. The US will continue to talk to both Russia and Ukraine in an effort to bring peace closer, Rubio said. Our strategy is to continue to engage all the parties that are involved in finding an outcome to this conflict, he told journalists when asked about Trump’s approach to resolving the standoff. We will engage anytime we have an opportunity to do so like we did today.
Rubio and Lavrov discussed a possible roadmap for ending the Ukraine conflict and shared some ideas about what that might look like. He also expressed hope that Russia would demonstrate more flexibility in its approach. The new proposals do not necessarily guarantee peace, Rubio said, but added that they could still be something to build on.
The Russian Foreign Ministry described the talks as a “substantive and frank exchange of opinions” regarding the settlement of the Ukraine conflict. The two sides also strive to revive bilateral economic ties as well, unimpeded contacts, the ministry said, noting the importance of normalizing the work of diplomatic missions and restoring direct flights between Russia and the US.
The talks on Thursday followed a phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. The American president said he was unhappy with his Russian counterpart, accusing Putin of not wanting to settle the Ukraine conflict. Putin is very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless, Trump claimed on Wednesday.
The Kremlin responded by saying that Moscow remains committed to continuing our dialogue with Washington, but reiterated that the Ukraine conflict is impossible to resolve overnight.