Zillar Barta Desk,NEW YORK: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, as Washington continues diplomatic efforts related to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The meeting was held behind closed doors and began without opening remarks to the media. Discussions were expected to cover U.S.-Russia relations and efforts to find a path toward ending the war in Ukraine.
The talks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN headquarters in New York. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared for an energy ceasefire if Russia agreed to reciprocal measures and stopped attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
However, the Kremlin said ahead of the Rubio-Lavrov meeting that there were still no conditions for moving toward formal peace negotiations, while maintaining that Russia remained open to talks.
Rubio and Lavrov have held several meetings as the United States has sought diplomatic avenues to end the conflict. Their latest encounter comes amid continued fighting and intensified diplomatic activity surrounding the UN General Assembly.
The meeting is being closely watched for any indication of progress on ceasefire proposals, future negotiations and broader U.S.-Russia relations.
