In a rare face-to-face encounter, the top diplomats of the United States and Russia met on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Manila, signaling a potential thaw in the stalemated Ukraine peace process. The 35-minute conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday marks the highest-level direct dialogue between the two nations in months, coming as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately engaged American envoys to revive negotiations. Main Developments Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Lavrov “reaffirmed Russia’s readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict” during the meeting. He also told Rubio that Moscow remains committed to proposals outlined by Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at their August 2025 summit in Alaska. Lavrov stressed that continued weapons supplies to Ukraine are unacceptable and condemned what he called “a destabilising policy by European countries, which are still seeking to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia,” according to the ministry’s statement. Read also: US strikes Iran 11th night, Hegseth puts war cost at $37.5bn Rubio described the exchange as “a good conversation, a frank conversation” and said the United States is prepared to play a “constructive role” in ending what he termed a “senseless war.” He declined to characterize Russia’s specific position during the talks but added that both Russia and Ukraine have an incentive to end the conflict, with the central challenge being finding a settlement “that both sides can accept.” The meeting followed a brief Tuesday encounter between the two diplomats at a gala dinner and their joint participation in the ASEAN Regional Forum on Thursday morning. Lavrov had indicated Wednesday that the meeting with Rubio would “be useful in any case,” saying, “It’s good to ask questions and get answers.” He added that he planned to ask Rubio about recent statements by Trump predicting a settlement is nearing. Background Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have been largely stalled, with U.S. attention shifting to the Middle East and Moscow maintaining its demand that Kyiv cede territory. Rubio noted on Wednesday that the war “has in many ways impeded the ability of Russia and the United States to find areas of agreement on other topics,” though he said Washington would still seek potential cooperation. On Thursday, Zelenskyy posted on X that he had “a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy” with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian president’s outreach comes as his military escalates long-range drone strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure, hitting refineries, oil depots, and cargo ships at sea—a campaign Trump has publicly supported, saying it could “help bring about an end” to the conflict. Russia responded to the drone strikes with a massive barrage of missiles and drones on Kyiv in late June, killing at least 30 people. The attacks have caused fuel shortages inside Russia, adding economic pressure to the conflict. Why It Matters The Manila meeting represents the most direct U.S.-Russia dialogue on Ukraine since the Alaska summit, offering a potential diplomatic off-ramp after months of battlefield escalation and frozen negotiations. Rubio’s willingness to engage signals that the Trump administration continues to see a negotiated settlement as a priority, even as U.S. military and political attention is increasingly drawn to crises in the Middle East. For Moscow, the talks provide a platform to reiterate its core demands—including an end to Western arms shipments to Ukraine—while testing Washington’s flexibility on territorial issues. For Kyiv, Zelenskyy’s simultaneous discussions with U.S. envoys underscore Ukraine’s urgent need to reinvigorate diplomacy as the war grinds into its fourth year with no clear military resolution in sight. What's Next No follow-up meetings have been announced, but the Manila talks could lay groundwork for further U.S.-Russia consultations, possibly at lower diplomatic levels. Rubio’s statement that the U.S. is “prepared to play a constructive role” leaves open the possibility of Washington presenting a new framework for negotiations. Zelenskyy’s conversation with Witkoff and Kushner suggests Ukraine is seeking to align its diplomatic strategy with U.S. priorities ahead of any potential peace proposal. The key open question remains whether Moscow will accept any settlement that does not include full recognition of its territorial gains.