U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were 'good' and 'frank,' and that the U.S. is ready to play a constructive role but new proposals are needed since previous peace ideas have failed, according to a report.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has now characterized his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as 'good' and 'frank,' adding that new peace proposals are needed because previous initiatives have failed. The remarks, reported Thursday evening (20:37 Jerusalem), mark a more detailed assessment than his earlier statement that the conversation focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
The thread began Wednesday (Jul 22, 12:03 Jerusalem) when Lavrov announced he would meet Rubio the next day, with the location later confirmed as Manila. The meeting itself took place Thursday morning and lasted only 30 minutes — their first face-to-face talks in nearly a year. Shortly after the meeting, Rubio said he discussed bilateral relations and the need to end the war. The latest remarks add a candid evaluation of the talks and the need for fresh approaches, while the U.S. remains ready to facilitate a resolution.
As The Zioneer has reported, Russia has expressed readiness for negotiations, with Putin saying Moscow is prepared to resume talks with the U.S. on Ukraine (Jun 29) and Lavrov stating Russia could continue talks with Ukraine from where they left off (Jun 23). Separately, the Kremlin has said it maintains working relations with Washington and hopes peace efforts will succeed (Jul 7).
No response has been received from the Kremlin to Rubio's latest framing, and it remains unclear what new proposals the U.S. might put forward or whether Russia will accept the need for a fresh approach.
5 developments
- DevelopingRubio: Israel-Lebanon talks yesterday yielded 'very good results'
- DevelopingRussia's Lavrov says Moscow ready to resume talks with Ukraine
- DevelopingRubio: Iran signaling willingness for negotiations
- DevelopingRubio reiterates: US open to diplomacy, Iran must show seriousness, deal centers on Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake