Lavrov, Rubio discuss ending Ukraine war and new European sanctions against Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a closed-door meeting with his US counterpart Marco Rubio on Thursday, July 23, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' summit in the Philippine capital Manila. Official sources confirmed that the meeting lasted about 35 minutes and carried discussions on the horizon of a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and the increasing regional escalation with Iran.
Moscow's position on Western armaments
In an official statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed Moscow's readiness to reach a political and diplomatic settlement to the Ukrainian conflict, stressing its commitment to the previous proposals discussed between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
During the meeting, Lavrov warned his American counterpart against continuing arms supplies to Kyiv, calling it "unacceptable" and rejecting what he described as destabilizing policies and practices by European countries to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia.
On the other hand, the US secretary of state stressed that Washington and Moscow represent the two largest nuclear powers, stressing that the rejection of dialogue represents irresponsible behavior.
Rubio explained that the Ukraine war has created obstacles to reaching agreements on other files, pointing to the need to maintain channels of communication and discuss new opportunities for peace, while welcoming the continued coordination between Roscosmos and NASA and the development of diplomatic and parliamentary relations.
New European sanctions package
European Union countries have announced that an agreement has been reached on the imposition of a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, following weeks of negotiations and objections related to the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the oil price cap. These diplomatic steps coincided with an increasing escalation on the ground and damage to infrastructure, energy and logistics centers deep inside the two countries, amid continued reliance on drones and ballistic missiles.
Recent developments on the ground have revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made sweeping changes in the command of the armed forces, including the dismissal of army chief Oleksandr Syrsky and the appointment of Mykhailo Drabaty in his place, days after the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
While the Kremlin has seen these measures as merely cosmetic changes that do not affect the front lines, military experts have stressed that the change of command reflects Kyiv's efforts to reduce Russia's military capabilities and strengthen its position in any upcoming negotiations that Washington may sponsor.