Lavrov and Rubio Meet on ASEAN Summit Sidelines Amid Stalled Peace Talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Thursday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, Philippines.

The two diplomats did not make any statements or take questions from reporters before or after the meeting, their first in-person talks since September 2025.

The two sides were expected to discuss the ongoing conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine, as well as the US and Iran. Owing to the tight schedule, the meeting lasted around 35 minutes.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Americans requested the meeting, which is widely seen as an attempt by Rubio to revive peace negotiations which President Donald Trump sought to mediate between Russia and Ukraine since returning to the White House early last year.

Although initially promising, the talks have so far failed to produce any breakthroughs and have largely stalled since the US became embroiled in the war in the Middle East.

Moscow has praised Trump’s efforts while largely blaming Ukraine’s European backers for trying to sabotage the negotiations. Earlier this month, Lavrov argued that the West is not seeking a settlement in good faith, adding that “the reserve of goodwill and hope has been exhausted.”

President Vladimir Putin affirmed last month that Russia is sticking to its original terms, including demands that Ukraine recognize Russia’s new borders and abandon its plans to join NATO in favor of permanent neutrality.