Rubio and Lavrov Hold First Face-to-Face Meeting Since September in Manila to Discuss Ukraine War and Anchorage Framework

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Manila on Thursday morning on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, their first face-to-face encounter since September 1. Lavrov told reporters the meeting had been arranged and confirmed Moscow continues to operate on the assumption that Washington has not withdrawn proposals made at the August 2025 Anchorage summit between Presidents Trump and Putin 234. Rubio, in remarks before the meeting, said Ukraine "has in many ways impeded" broader US-Russia cooperation and that Washington remains open to a mediating role "if that opportunity presents itself," while disputing Moscow's characterization that formal agreements on Ukraine's territorial future were reached at Anchorage 15. Lavrov also said he intended to ask Rubio about Trump's recent statement that a Ukraine settlement is "closer than people realize" 1234.