US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are set to meet face-to-face in Manila on Thursday, with Russia’s war against Ukraine expected to be a central issue.
Rubio confirmed the meeting Wednesday when questioned by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent Alex Raufoglu in Manila. Raufoglu asked whether the secretary would press Lavrov over Ukraine or whether the encounter was primarily intended to keep diplomatic channels with Moscow open.
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Rubio pushed back on the word “press,” but made clear that Ukraine would be raised.
“The war in Ukraine I think has in many ways impeded the ability of Russia and the US to find areas of agreement,” Rubio told Raufoglu, adding that Washington wants to see the conflict brought to an end.
According to Rubio, the US remains willing to play a constructive role in reaching a settlement if an opportunity emerges – arguing that Washington may be uniquely positioned to mediate between the sides.
Perhaps more significantly, Rubio suggested the diplomatic environment may have shifted.
He acknowledged that efforts to facilitate an end to the war had “fallen off” over the past several months but suggested that new circumstances could now make renewed discussions possible – something he plans to explore directly with Lavrov Thursday.
Rubio also disclosed that he briefly saw Lavrov Wednesday evening when the Russian foreign minister arrived at the summit’s opening dinner, although they did not discuss Ukraine.
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“There are now new conditions in place that will allow that conversation,” Rubio suggested, describing the possibility as one of the issues he intends to explore with Lavrov.
He cautioned that not everything discussed with Moscow would necessarily be made public, arguing that conducting some diplomacy away from public scrutiny could improve the chances of reaching understandings.
The meeting is taking place on the sidelines of ASEAN-related gatherings in the Philippine capital and marks the first face-to-face encounter between the two diplomats since September. Rubio and Lavrov are also expected to discuss areas beyond Ukraine where Washington and Moscow could potentially cooperate.
The Anchorage dispute
One major point of contention is likely to be what Moscow describes as the “Anchorage agreements” – understandings Russia claims emerged from President Donald Trump’s August 2025 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Lavrov maintains that Moscow is proceeding on the assumption that Washington has not abandoned proposals discussed during those talks.
Rubio, however, has disputed Moscow’s characterization that formal agreements concerning Ukraine’s territorial future were reached at Anchorage.
Lavrov also signaled Wednesday that he intends to question Rubio about Trump’s recent assessment that a settlement in Ukraine is “closer than people realize.
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