US secretary of state says he will discuss Russia-Ukraine war with Russian foreign minister

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that he will discuss the Russia-Ukraine war with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Source: The Guardian with reference to Rubio

Details: Earlier today, Lavrov said that he would meet Rubio on 23 July in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Rubio was subsequently asked about his plans for the meeting.

He said that the United States "would like to see that war come to an end".

The US secretary of state noted that he would discuss the situation in Ukraine with Lavrov.

Rubio said that "the war in Ukraine, I think, has in many ways impeded the ability of Russia and the US to find areas of agreements on other topics", although the US could still cooperate with Moscow in some areas.

He also said that "it would be good for Russia if that war came to an end" and that he and Lavrov would therefore raise the issue during their meeting.

"The US remains open and willing to play a constructive role in bringing that war to an end if that opportunity presents itself," he said.

He added that talks between the United States and Russia had made little progress in recent months, but that new conditions might now have emerged that would allow such dialogue to take place.

Background:

• In June, Rubio said that no agreements concerning Ukraine had been reached during that year's summit in Anchorage between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
• The secretary made the statement after Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov and Lavrov accused the United States of betraying the so-called "spirit of Anchorage".
• Lavrov had also said that US actions indicated that Washington was abandoning its claim to the role of an impartial mediator in efforts to settle the Russia-Ukraine war.

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