Rubio and Lavrov meet in Manila as Ukraine peace talks remain stalled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held their first face-to-face meeting in nearly a year on July 23 in Manila, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. The encounter came as peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow have been frozen since February, when Washington launched its military campaign against Iran.

The Meeting

Lavrov warned Rubio that continued arms supplies to Ukraine were "inaceptable" and accused European countries of pursuing a "destabilizing" policy aimed at inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia Source: elnacionalve, euronewses. Rubio described the conversation as "good and frank" and reiterated the US willingness to play a "constructive role" to end what he called a "senseless war" Source: elespanol. Both sides confirmed discussing the situation in the Persian Gulf as well.

Behind the Scenes

Hours before the Rubio-Lavrov meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to "activate diplomacy" and coordinate peace efforts Source: infobae. Zelensky stressed the need for a "dignified peace" and thanked the US for its support.

Broader Context

• Poland warned that Russia could use captured Ukrainian drones in "false flag" operations against NATO members, including Poland and Baltic states Source: elespanol.
• Latvia accused Russia and Belarus of intensifying hybrid warfare—using migrant flows to destabilize the EU—to divert attention from losses in Ukraine Source: euronewses.
• Russian authorities have closed several border crossings with EU countries, fueling fears of a forced mobilization in September. Analysts note a sharp drop in voluntary military contracts, suggesting the Kremlin may resort to a draft Source: abces.