Russian and US Foreign Ministers Discuss Ending the War in Ukraine on the Margins of ASEAN Meetings

Kuala Lumpur, July 23 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Thursday to explore ways to end the war between Russia and Ukraine through a political and diplomatic settlement. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ministers’ discussions, held on the sidelines of the 59th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers and related meetings in the Philippine capital, Manila, lasted about 30 minutes and covered the war in Ukraine and the trajectory of Moscow–Washington relations, including efforts to normalize ties between the two countries. The ministry added that Lavrov reiterated during the meeting, which marks the first direct talks with Rubio since last September, Russia’s readiness to reach a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and informed the U.S. side that Moscow remains committed to the proposals put forward by the leaders of the two countries.

For its part, the U.S. State Department said in a brief statement that the talks addressed bilateral relations between the United States and Russia and the necessity of ending the war in Ukraine, while Rubio emphasized that Washington is prepared to play a “constructive role” in facilitating a settlement and that some discussions with Moscow would remain confidential to enhance the chances of making progress.

The Philippines, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year, is hosting the 59th meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers and related meetings from July 20 to 24 to discuss international security developments amid escalating fighting in the Middle East, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and rising tensions in the South China Sea.

The meetings are attended by ASEAN’s Principal Dialogue Partners, including India, the United States, Canada, Russia, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

ASEAN was established in 1967 with the aim of promoting regional cooperation and stability and currently comprises 11 member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste. (End)