US secretary of state meets Russian counterpart on sidelines of ASEAN summit
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday expressed frustration with the level of progress in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending their war that continues since February 2022.
"We feel we've dedicated a lot of time and energy to this matter, and just not enough progress has been made," Rubio said after talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
He emphasized that Washington wants to "see a roadmap moving forward" and that he and Lavrov "shared some ideas about what that might look like."
Rubio acknowledged the complexity of the negotiations while maintaining US expectations for advancement.
"We understand that these things take time and patience, but obviously we're also frustrated that more progress has not been made," he said.
The secretary of state expressed hope that the meeting would provide clarity on Russian positions and priorities, potentially enabling future progress.
US President Donald Trump has sought an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of his second term in January. He held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week, but said there was no progress towards a ceasefire.
