Rubio and Lavrov Discuss New Idea for Ukraine Conflict Amid Ongoing Strikes on Kyiv

Russian and American chief diplomats engaged in a “candid exchange” during discussions in Malaysia on Thursday, according to Moscow. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed that his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, had proposed a “new idea” for addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ summit in Kuala Lumpur, just hours after Russia initiated a second consecutive night of attacks on Kyiv, resulting in two fatalities.

Despite the renewed strikes, Moscow asserted that peace discussions with Kyiv had not reached a deadlock.

“The talks involved a significant and candid discussion regarding the resolution of the situation in Ukraine,” stated Russia’s Foreign Ministry following the meeting.

Rubio informed reporters that Lavrov had introduced something “new” related to the conflict, although he refrained from providing specifics.

“It’s not a completely new approach. It’s a fresh idea or concept that I will take back to the president for discussion,” he noted. Rubio also mentioned that while it doesn’t guarantee peace, it might offer a potential pathway.

Moscow did not elaborate on the content of the idea.

Additionally, Rubio indicated that he communicated Trump’s frustration over the ongoing war, which has entered its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

“I conveyed the president’s feelings of disappointment and frustration regarding the stagnation in progress,” Rubio remarked.

Earlier in the week, Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for making “a lot of bulls***” comments about peace talks concerning Ukraine and vowed to send additional American weaponry to Kyiv.

Although the U.S. president has become increasingly critical of Putin, he has also expressed dissatisfaction with Kyiv, as hopes fade for a swift resolution to Europe’s most lethal conflict since World War II.

Rubio and Lavrov last met in February in Saudi Arabia when the Trump administration aimed to restore relations with Moscow and initiate peace discussions aimed at concluding the war in Ukraine. The two diplomats have also had several phone conversations in recent months.

Following the summit in Malaysia, Lavrov is slated to travel to North Korea this weekend, continuing a series of high-level visits as military collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang intensifies.