Azernews.Az

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held another round of talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the ongoing war in Ukraine topping the agenda, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.

This encounter came just a day after a more extensive 50-minute meeting between the two diplomats. While no official readout of Friday’s discussion has been released, Rubio stated after Thursday’s meeting that the two sides had explored a potential “new and different approach” to reinitiating peace talks over the Ukraine conflict.

“It’s not a guarantee of peace,” Rubio told reporters, “but it’s an idea I will take back to the president.”

Lavrov confirmed that he had reiterated Russia’s stance, saying the discussion reaffirmed the proposals previously outlined by President Vladimir Putin, particularly during his recent July 3 phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two officials engaged in a “substantive and frank” exchange not only on Ukraine but also on other pressing international concerns, including Iran, Syria, and broader global affairs.

The encounter marked a rare high-level contact between Washington and Moscow amid a tense diplomatic climate. However, Russian officials sought to downplay any talk of worsening relations.