Rubio meets Russia's Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 10.
KUALA LUMPUR - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Asean foreign ministers' meeting in Malaysia on July 10, as
Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine .
It was their second in-person meeting, at a time when US President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine drags on.
Neither Mr Lavrov nor Mr Rubio made any comments to press at the start of the meeting.
Russian drones and missiles bore down on the Ukrainian capital early on July 10, as escalating Russian attacks have strained Ukrainian air defences, forcing thousands into bomb shelters overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 18 missiles and around 400 drones in an attack that primarily targeted the capital Kyiv.
There was no comment from Moscow, which the previous night launched a record 728 drones at its smaller neighbor.
Mr Trump returned to power this year promising a swift end to the war, which began in 2022, and had been more conciliatory toward Moscow than his predecessor Joe Biden, who backed Kyiv staunchly.
But on July 8, a day after ordering a resumption of deliveries of US defensive weapons to Ukraine, he was unusually critical, saying Mr Putin's statements on moving towards peace were 'meaningless'.
Mr Trump has also said he is considering supporting a Bill that would impose steep sanctions on Russia, including 500 per cent tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium or other exports.
Mr Rubio met with Mr Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur on the evening of July 10, having already met with the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations in his first trip to Asia since taking office.
Mr Rubio and Mr Lavrov first met in Saudi Arabia in February as part of Mr Trump's effort to re-establish relations and help negotiate an end to the war.
The counterparts also spoke by phone in May and June.
The Kremlin said on July 9 it was relaxed about Mr Trump's criticism and would keep trying to fix 'broken' relations with Washington.
At a conference of Ukraine-friendly nations in Rome on July 9, Mr Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg met with Mr Zelensky. REUTERS
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