Rubio, Lavrov Hold 30-Minute Ukraine Talks in Manila as US Seeks to Revive Stalled Diplomacy
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 23
Rubio, Lavrov Hold 30-Minute Ukraine Talks in Manila as US Seeks to Revive Stalled Diplomacy
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 23
Summary
More than 30 minutes of talks in Manila gave Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov a fresh channel on Ukraine, with Rubio calling the exchange frank and saying Washington is ready to help end the war.
Russia used the meeting to restate its terms: Lavrov said Moscow remains open to a political settlement, backed proposals discussed by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August 2025, and rejected further Western arms for Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the same day he had an important call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on reinvigorating diplomacy, underscoring a parallel push to restart negotiations.
The contacts come after peace efforts stalled as US attention shifted to the Middle East and Russia kept demanding Ukrainian territorial concessions, even as fighting intensified through Ukrainian drone strikes and a late-June Russian barrage that killed at least 30 in Kyiv.
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Overview
On July 23, 2026, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Manila, marking a significant attempt to re-engage amid the ongoing, bloody Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both diplomats recognized the urgent need to end the war, noting that Russia and Ukraine have incentives to seek peace. However, the main challenge remains finding a settlement acceptable to both sides. Secretary Rubio stressed the importance of finding a middle ground, but the meeting mainly served to reiterate positions and explore possible solutions, rather than producing any immediate breakthroughs or new proposals.