Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in the Philippines. The two ministers discussed the war situation in Ukraine.
According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov briefed his counterpart on the real situation on the frontline. He also complained about the 'destabilizing policies' of European countries.
US Secretary of State Rubio, speaking after the meeting, stated that 'new ideas' are necessary to end the Ukraine war. Rubio said that previously negotiated proposals were unacceptable for Ukraine and would not be acceptable now. He did not give details on which proposals he was referring to.
Zelensky speaks with Trump's envoys
A few hours before the Lavrov-Rubio meeting, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky held a phone conversation with US President Trump's special representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Zelensky described the call as 'an important conversation on how to activate diplomacy and bring peace closer.' He said the American mediators 'briefly presented several options' for continuing negotiations and planned to discuss them with US officials soon.
Kremlin cautious
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called for 'not giving in to excessive optimism' following news of diplomatic contacts. Peskov stressed that 'it is not possible to talk about a new dynamic'.
Peskov said Moscow is in contact with Kushner and Witkoff and expects the special representatives to come to Moscow soon. However, he avoided giving a specific date.
Background of negotiations and Putin's stance
US-mediated formal negotiations between Russia and Ukraine had been conducted in January and February. These negotiations were temporarily suspended due to the war that broke out in the Middle East, as Kushner and Witkoff focused on contacts with Iran. Both sides had announced their commitment to the negotiation process.
According to a Reuters report in early July, based on sources close to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin adopted an 'uncompromising stance' on taking the entire Donbas and criticized his advisors who proposed compromise.
Bloomberg, in a report published yesterday, wrote that Russia does not plan to return the occupied Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.
Developments on the frontline
While diplomatic contacts continue, the Russian Defense Ministry announced this morning that 223 Ukrainian drones were shot down. The most intense attack took place in the Voronezh region. A logistics center belonging to the Wildberries company was also targeted during the attacks.
In a Voronezh suburb, a 3-year-old child died in a fire caused by a drone crashing into a private house, and the parents were injured. The attacks also caused damage in the Ulyanovsk region and Bashkortostan.
