Top US and Russian diplomats discuss Ukraine war in Manila

What Happened

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a bilateral meeting lasting just over 30 minutes on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering in Manila on Thursday. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Lavrov 'reaffirmed Russia's readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict' and stressed Moscow's commitment to proposals put forward by Presidents Trump and Putin at their August 2025 Alaska summit. Lavrov also condemned continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing a 'destabilising policy' aimed at Russia's 'strategic defeat.' Rubio told reporters the conversation was 'good' and 'frank,' reiterating that the US is prepared to play a 'constructive role' in ending the 'senseless war' if an opportunity arises. He noted that the central challenge remains finding a settlement acceptable to both sides, while declining to characterise Russia's position. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had 'a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy' with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The meeting marks a rare direct diplomatic exchange between Washington and Moscow amid a deadlocked negotiation process, with US attention partly diverted to the Middle East. It signals that both sides are keeping channels open, yet the gap remains wide: Russia demands acceptance of its territorial gains and a halt to arms deliveries, while the US and Ukraine insist on sovereignty and security guarantees. The references to the Trump-Putin Alaska framework suggest a possible diplomatic track, but no concrete progress emerged, leaving the conflict's trajectory dependent on military developments and further diplomatic testing.

Watch For

Whether follow-up meetings at the foreign-minister level or below are scheduled; whether the Trump-Putin Alaska proposals gain momentum among Western allies; how Ukraine's separate outreach to US envoys affects the negotiating dynamics; and whether intensified drone strikes and Russian retaliatory attacks harden positions or create new pressure for talks.