Rubio and Lavrov hold talks on Ukraine at ASEAN summit

On July 23, 2026, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met for talks in Manila, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. The meeting, which lasted just over half an hour, was initiated by the Russian side, according to reports. The war in Ukraine was a key topic on the agenda.

The encounter marks a rare direct high-level contact between US and Russian officials amid ongoing tensions over the conflict. No details on specific outcomes or agreements were immediately released.