U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed on Thursday that the United States is prepared to assist in bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, following discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering in Manila.
Rubio indicated that President Donald Trump has conveyed the U.S. readiness to help facilitate an end to what he described as a "senseless war" if the opportunity arises. This message was conveyed to Moscow, though Rubio did not characterize Russia's stance during the meeting. He described the conversation with his Russian counterpart as "good" and "frank."
The Russian foreign ministry stated that Lavrov "reaffirmed Russia’s readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict" and informed Rubio that Moscow remains committed to proposals put forth by Presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin at their August 2025 meeting in Alaska.
Rubio highlighted the significant human cost of the conflict, citing civilian casualties and Russian strikes on Kyiv. He suggested that both Russia and Ukraine have an incentive to end the war, but the primary challenge lies in finding a settlement acceptable to both sides. "I think it is a very bloody war," Rubio stated. "I think both sides should have an incentive to bring it to an end. That’s been the challenge, is an end that both sides can accept, and we’ve tried, and we’ll continue to try to see if we can find a middle ground that brings this about."
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