US Secretary Rubio, Russia's Lavrov hold 35-min talks; no breakthrough, previous peace proposals no longer viable

Published Jul 24, 02:00 PM UTC

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on July 23 in a 35-minute diplomatic push to end the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year. Both sides signaled no breakthroughs, with Rubio calling the talks 'good' and 'frank' but stating that previous peace proposals are no longer viable. The meeting occurred as US focus shifts to the Iran war and Russia maintains maximalist demands, including full control of occupied eastern Ukraine. Lavrov raised unhappiness over US weapons supplies to Ukraine and proposed a Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, which Rubio denied was agreed upon. Rubio noted Russia is losing 5,000-6,000 soldiers weekly and both sides have incentives to end the war, but finding mutually acceptable terms remains the main obstacle. The Kremlin expressed no optimism, and battlefield conditions remain deadlocked with heavy casualties.