Russia warns U.S. against Ukraine arms sales in Manila meeting

Lavrov Warns U.S. Against Arming Kyiv in Manila Meeting with Rubio

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Washington against making "unacceptable" arms deliveries to Ukraine during a meeting in Manila with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to statements from Moscow. The two top diplomats met on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit, their first such encounter since September 2025, as reported by The Hindu, which noted the meeting came as Washington's focus has shifted from mediating in Ukraine to dealing with conflict in West Asia.

Lavrov "stressed that it was unacceptable to continue supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by both Al Jazeera and The Hindu. He also reaffirmed Russia's readiness for a "political and diplomatic settlement" of the conflict, adding that Moscow remained committed to proposals put forward by Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at their August 2025 meeting in Alaska, according to Al Jazeera.

The meeting lasted about half an hour, with Rubio telling reporters afterward that the two had "a good conversation, a frank conversation," though he did not disclose details. When asked about the arms deliveries Moscow referenced, Rubio replied, "We sell weapons through PURL... There has been no change in our policy in this regard," as reported by The Hindu. The PURL initiative, launched last year, allows Ukraine to receive U.S. equipment purchased by Washington's NATO allies, the outlet added.

The U.S. State Department offered few details about the talks, with a spokesperson saying only that Rubio and Lavrov "discussed the US-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war," according to Al Jazeera.

Rubio expressed his government's hope to play a constructive role in ending the fighting. "We want a peace deal. We want the war to end," he told reporters, adding that it would take "something that both Russia and Ukraine can agree to," which "is going to require a lot of work," as carried by The Hindu.

Shortly before the two men met, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with U.S. envoys in a bid to revive stalled talks aimed at ending the years-long war. "I just spoke with President Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. It was a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy and bring peace closer," Zelensky said in a post on X, according to both outlets.

The two diplomats were also expected to discuss the conflict in the Middle East, which has seen Moscow condemn Washington's strikes on its ally Iran, Al Jazeera reported. Rubio acknowledged that the war in Ukraine "has in many ways impeded the ability of Russia and the United States to find areas of agreement on other top" issues, as quoted by the same outlet.

President Trump has voiced support for Ukraine's campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, according to The Hindu, which reported that Trump said such attacks could help bring about an end to the conflict.