Lavrov to Rubio: ‘Stop supplying arms to Kyiv’. EU reaches agreement on new sanctions against Moscow

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila, on the sidelines of the summit of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, during the meeting, which lasted around 35 minutes, Lavrov ‘briefed his US counterpart on the actual situation along the line of contact and emphasised the unacceptability of further arming the Kyiv regime’. The Russian Foreign Minister also “reiterated Russia’s willingness to seek a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict and its commitment to the proposals put forward by the American side during the meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage, to which the Russian leader had agreed”.

During the bilateral meeting, the two representatives discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in the Persian Gulf, according to the Kremlin press office, as reported by TASS. Announcing the meeting the previous day, Lavrov had stated that he intended to ask his American counterpart for the White House’s view on the prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. For his part, Rubio confirmed that he was willing to discuss the Ukrainian issue. Lavrov and Rubio also discussed the issue of normalising working conditions for the diplomatic missions of Russia and the United States, according to the Russian ministry’s statement.

“An agreement has been reached to continue contacts between the foreign ministries, including in the context of the two countries’ participation in the work of international organisations,” the press release states. “Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio welcomed the resumption of full-scale contacts between the state-owned organisations Roscosmos and NASA, and also expressed their hope for the development of inter-parliamentary exchanges and cultural ties.” The two did not issue any statements at the end of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky may travel to Washington next week to attend the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham. The trip would also include bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump, according to reports by the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne, which cites diplomatic sources. Zelensky is said to have received an invitation to attend Graham’s funeral, which is to be held at the National Cathedral in Washington on 28 July. Sources close to the matter have told the Ukrainian media outlet that the President’s office has not yet confirmed whether Zelensky is available to make the trip, and that the administration is considering the possibility of sending a senior official in his place. The President’s office has not yet finalised the details of the potential visit.

The ambassadors and permanent representatives of the European Union’s Member States have reached an agreement on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. According to a European diplomat quoted by Politico, this new package of sanctions would represent a further significant step towards curbing the capabilities of Russia’s military-industrial complex.