Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila, on the sidelines of the summit of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members. According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, during the approximately 35-minute meeting, Lavrov “informed his American counterpart about the real situation along the line of contact and emphasized the inadmissibility of further arming the Kyiv regime.” The Moscow Foreign Minister also “reiterated Russia’s readiness for a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict and its commitment to the proposals put forward by the American side during the meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage, which the Russian leader endorsed.”
Read more Payments, low fraud rate but “broken phone scams” increase
Ask the Sole
Questions are automatically suggested by 24Ore AI
based on the displayed content.
Ukraine and Gulf wars on the table
During the bilateral meeting, the two representatives discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in the Persian Gulf, as reported by the Kremlin ministry, cited by Tass. Announcing the meeting the day before, Lavrov had stated that he wanted to ask his American counterpart for the White House’s perspective on the prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. For his part, Rubio confirmed his willingness to discuss the Ukrainian issue. Lavrov and Rubio also discussed the issue of normalizing the working conditions of diplomatic missions of Russia and the United States, according to the Russian ministry’s statement.
“An agreement was reached to continue contacts between the foreign ministries, including within the framework of the two countries’ participation in the work of international organizations,” the press release specifies. “Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio welcomed the resumption of full-fledged contacts between the state corporations Roscosmos and NASA, and also expressed hope for the development of inter-parliamentary exchanges and cultural ties.” The two did not release statements at the end of the meeting.
Read more Retail trade, fewer employees but higher turnover: here are the sectors where it grows …
Possible Trump-Zelensky meeting in Washington
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could travel to Washington next week to attend the funeral of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. The trip would also include bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne, citing diplomatic sources. Zelensky reportedly received an invitation to attend Graham’s funeral, which will be held at Washington National Cathedral on July 28. Sources close to the matter told the Ukrainian media that the President’s office has not yet confirmed Zelensky’s availability to make the trip, and that the administration is considering sending a high-ranking official in his place. The president’s office has not yet finalized the details of the potential visit.
EU: agreement reached on 21st package of sanctions against Moscow
Ambassadors and permanent representatives of the European Union member states have reached an agreement on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. According to a European diplomat cited by Politico, this new package of sanctions would represent a further significant step to limit the capabilities of the Russian military economy.
Read more Milan: Calabresi, run for office? I’m thinking about it, I’d like to do my part
