# US Secretary of State Rubio meets Russia's Lavrov in Manila; Lavrov reaffirms readiness for Ukraine settlement > US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks in Manila on July 23 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum, with Lavrov reaffirming Russia's readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement to the war in Ukraine and its commitment to the Anchorage agreements **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-23 · heads: كيف تنتهي الحروب فعلاً, ما لا يقولونه · 8 takes · 4 lenses · 5 regions ## Summary US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Manila on July 23 on the sidelines of the [ASEAN Regional Forum](/ar/n/asean-59th-amm-manila-0721), the most senior direct US-Russia diplomatic contact since [Lavrov confirmed the meeting](/ar/n/lavrov-rubio-manila-0722) on July 22. Lavrov "reaffirmed readiness" for a political and diplomatic settlement to the [Russia-Ukraine war](/ar/n/ukraine-wildberries-krasnodar-0722), according to Al Jazeera, and Russia's readiness to abide by "agreements reached in Anchorage," per TASS. Rubio entered the talks aiming to revive the prospect of US mediation in Ukraine, the Korea Times reported, following a period in which Washington had stepped back from active shuttle diplomacy after the [Kremlin hardened its buffer-zone demands](/ar/n/kremlin-ukraine-territory-0722). ## The split Russian readout, via TASS and Pravda EN, framed the talks as routine and stressed continuity with prior commitments (Anchorage agreements), providing no new concessions. Al Jazeera led on Lavrov's readiness for settlement, a framing that softens Moscow's public posture without committing to specifics. Western wire services (AP, carried by Korea Times and WSLS) foregrounded Rubio as the actor trying to "revive" something that had lapsed, implicitly placing the onus on Washington to move the diplomacy. ## By the numbers - 2, major parties with active military operations in Ukraine - 1, bilateral between Rubio and Lavrov since the ASEAN forum began - 23 July 2026, date of the meeting, on sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila ## Why it matters Direct US-Russia talks at foreign-minister level are rare enough that the meeting itself signals something, even when both sides leave with nothing agreed. If Lavrov's "readiness" language hardens into a concrete proposal, it would be the first Russian diplomatic movement since Moscow rejected ceasefire lines in June. If it stays rhetorical, it reinforces the pattern of the [Kremlin's talk-without-concession approach](/ar/n/kremlin-peace-0722). ## What to watch - Whether a joint statement or readout is released from either side, and whether the language aligns - Any follow-on contact between Rubio and Lavrov before the ASEAN forum ends - Ukraine's response to the meeting, given Kyiv was not part of the talks - Whether the "Anchorage agreements" language surfaces in subsequent Russian or US statements ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### Russian state news agency - **TASS** (Russia, ru) — Russia's state news agency reported that talks had 'begun' and were taking place on the sidelines of ASEAN-related events, framing the meeting as routine diplomacy rather than a breakthrough. > "The negotiations are taking place on the sidelines of ASEAN-related events." Source: https://tass.com/politics/2163909 ### Gulf-based international broadcaster - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Al Jazeera led on Lavrov's stated readiness for a settlement, quoting that he 'reaffirmed readiness' for a political and diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war, foregrounding the diplomatic signal over the substance of what was discussed. > "Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 'reaffirmed readiness' for political and diplomatic settlement to Russia-Ukraine war." Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/23/top-us-and-russian-diplomats-discuss-ukraine-war-in-manila ### South Korean centre press - **The Korea Times** (South Korea, en) — The Korea Times covered the meeting from a US agency framing, describing Rubio as trying to 'revive the prospect of US helping end war in Ukraine,' reflecting South Korean interest in the US role given its own proximity to regional great-power tensions. > "Rubio met Lavrov in Manila to try to revive prospect of US helping end war in Ukraine." Source: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260723/rubio-meets-russias-lavrov-in-manila-to-try-to-revive-prospect-of-us-helping-end-war-in-ukraine ### unlabelled - **Al-Monitor (Reuters)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/top-diplomats-gather-security-forum-southeast-asia - **Pravda EN (TASS)** (Russia, en) — Source: https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/07/23/2462697.html - **WSLS (AP)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.wsls.com/news/world/2026/07/23/rubio-to-revive-prospect-of-us-helping-end-war-in-ukraine-in-meeting-with-russian-counterpart/ - **The Hill (AP)** (United States, en) — Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-international/ap-rubio-to-revive-prospect-of-us-helping-end-war-in-ukraine-in-meeting-with-russian-counterpart/ - **Ukrainska Pravda** (Ukraine, uk) — Source: https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/07/22/8045299/ ## Across the graph - Related: [[lavrov-rubio-manila-0722]], [[kremlin-peace-0722]], [[kremlin-ukraine-territory-0722]], [[asean-59th-amm-manila-0721]] - Entities: Russia, United States, Ukraine --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ar/n/rubio-lavrov-manila-0723