Moscow/Washington, 11 July 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, as Washington continues to push for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The talks were held on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It marked the second in-person meeting between the two diplomats, following their first encounter nearly five months ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Since then, Rubio and Lavrov have held several phone conversations as part of ongoing, though thus far unsuccessful, efforts to de-escalate the war.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the talks lasted nearly an hour and focused on the war in Ukraine, as well as developments in Iran and Syria.

"We have confirmed our mutual commitment to finding peaceful solutions to conflict situations, restoring Russian-American economic and humanitarian cooperation," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia also reiterated its interest in resuming direct air travel with the United States to promote "unhindered contact" between the countries' people, and stressed "the importance of continuing efforts to normalize the operation of bilateral diplomatic missions," which have faced severe restrictions amid escalating tensions.

Rubio told reporters after the meeting that Russia had presented fresh proposals aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. Asked whether the ideas represented something new for the administration of US President Donald Trump, Rubio paused before replying: "I think it is a new and a different approach."

"Again, I wouldn't characterize it as something that guarantees peace, but it's a concept that, you know, I'll take back to the president today," he added.

Rubio said Ukraine had been the central topic in his conversation with Lavrov, and that he conveyed Trump’s growing frustration over stalled diplomatic progress.

"We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin," Trump said during remarks at the White House on Tuesday. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

The US president has repeatedly called for a swift end to the war, and said this week he had approved the delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine. On Wednesday, he added that Kiev's request for an additional Patriot air defence system was under review.

Meanwhile, the war continues to escalate on the ground. On Wednesday, Russia launched its largest drone assault on Ukrainian territory to date, with Ukraine reporting the interception of more than 700 drones. Further strikes on Kiev killed at least two people on Thursday.

Photo: EPA archive