U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Manila on Thursday, July 23, 2026, to discuss the war in Ukraine and the broader U.S.-Russia relationship. The meeting, which lasted just over half an hour according to Russian media, took place on the sidelines of an annual gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers Al Jazeera.
U.S. Position on Diplomacy and Military Aid
Rubio characterized previous U.S.-mediated talks as unsuccessful or at least unfruitful,
but maintained that President Donald Trump remains committed to the process if conditions have changed to make a deal possible. He emphasized that the central challenge is finding a middle ground and a settlement that both sides can accept
Apnews.
Despite the diplomatic outreach, Rubio confirmed that Washington’s military support for Ukraine remains unchanged. He noted that arms transfers continue through NATO’s PURL initiative, stating, There’s been no change to our policy in that regard.
Russian Demands and Diplomatic Stance
According to the Russian ministry, Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to proposals put forward by President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump during a summit in Alaska (specifically Anchorage) in August 2025. While Lavrov indicated on Wednesday that the meeting would be useful in any case,
he largely ignored questions from reporters following the session.
Broader Diplomatic Context and Regional Tensions
The encounter occurred during three days of closed-door ASEAN talks that began Tuesday. Beyond the Ukraine conflict, the meetings focused on the resurgent war in the Middle East and tensions in the South China Sea. Rubio indicated he sought to find other areas of potential cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, noting that the war in Ukraine has impeded the ability of the two nations to agree on other topics.
Other key diplomatic developments reported include:
- Ukrainian Response: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on X that he had a conversation with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to “reinvigorate diplomacy.”
- Kremlin Outlook: Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated the Kremlin was not “overly optimistic” about a quick deal but hoped envoys Kushner and Witkoff would visit Moscow.
- Regional Conflict: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed alarm over a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine missile test-launch that flew over the Philippines. Simultaneously, the Chinese coast guard reported blocking two Philippine ships in a confrontation on Thursday NBC News.
The two foreign ministers also discussed the normalisation of conditions
for the functioning of U.S. and Russian diplomatic missions and agreed to continue contacts through foreign ministries and international organizations.
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