Sergey Lavrov says "unacceptable to continue supplying weapons" about Ukraine arms shipments

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Thursday meeting in Manila that continued arms shipments to Ukraine were unacceptable, according to Moscow’s foreign ministry. The two diplomats met on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit, their first direct talks since September 2025. Lavrov also criticized European nations for seeking to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia, while reiterating Russia’s openness to a political settlement. Rubio earlier noted the Ukraine war hindered U.S.-Russian cooperation but expressed willingness to find common ground. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about reviving peace talks. The meeting occurs as Washington shifts focus from mediating in Ukraine to the Middle East conflict.