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A meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to take place on July 23 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial events in Manila, the Philippines. The meeting is set for 11:50 a.m. local time (06:50 a.m. Moscow time), according to Rubio's schedule released by the US Department of State, as reported by TASS — English. A photo opportunity is scheduled for the beginning of the meeting, though the schedule is subject to change, the State Department noted.

Coverage Comparison

Both reports on the meeting originate from TASS — English, the Russian state news agency, which covered the announcement from the Russian side and the release of the US schedule. The coverage provides details on Lavrov's planned agenda for the talks, including his intention to seek clarifications from Rubio regarding US President Donald Trump's statements on a potential swift resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. TASS — English also reported Lavrov's remarks on a range of other international issues, which he may raise during the meeting or has discussed in separate contexts.

Key Claims

  • A meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled for July 23, with a photo opportunity at the start, as reported by TASS — English citing the US State Department schedule.
  • Lavrov confirmed the meeting and stated he intends to discuss US President Donald Trump's statements regarding the possibility of a swift resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, according to TASS — English.
  • Lavrov said the US is not simply assisting but directly participating in the targeting of Ukrainian weapons at facilities in Russia, including civilian ones, as reported by TASS — English.
  • Russia has not received any proposals to renew the Black Sea Initiative, also known as the grain deal, Lavrov stated, according to TASS — English. He added that the UN played a "not very benign role" in the initiative, implementing it unilaterally and in the interests of Ukraine.
  • Lavrov described information about the current German government's intention to gain access to nuclear weapons as alarming, per TASS — English. He predicted that sentiment in a number of countries about the need to possess nuclear weapons for self-defense will grow following what he called US and Israeli aggression against Iran.
  • Lavrov stated that Russia has no intention of attacking anyone, but if the EU tries to attack it, it will no longer be a conventional war, according to TASS — English.
  • Moscow wants the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz to end and is not supplying Tehran with weapons, Lavrov said. Russia has no interest in destabilizing global energy markets due to the conflict over Iran, he added.
  • The foreign ministers of Russia and ASEAN discussed the creation of a new financial system resilient to Western abuses, with plans to double current trade turnover between Russia and ASEAN countries by 2036, as reported by TASS — English.