US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States is prepared to help end the war in Ukraine after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila.
Rubio said President Donald Trump had made it clear that Washington is ready to facilitate a peace process if an opportunity arises, a message conveyed to Moscow without labeling Russia’s position.
He described the conversation with Lavrov as frank and productive, but chose not to disclose specific details of the discussion.
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to a political and diplomatic settlement, referencing proposals from a 2025 meeting between the presidents in Alaska.
Rubio highlighted the heavy toll of the conflict, citing civilian casualties and Russian strikes on Kyiv, and emphasized that both sides have an incentive to bring the war to an end.
He said the main challenge is finding a settlement that both parties can accept and pledged continued effort to seek a middle ground.
