Lavrov Evaluates Talks with Rubio as Successful and Comments on US-Russia Meeting Cancellation
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that his phone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 20 was highly productive and constructive.
He emphasized that the United States, after this discussion, decided to cancel their scheduled face-to-face meeting.
Lavrov noted that this decision indicates Washington did not see grounds for organizing the expected talks, but expressed interest in ongoing dialogue.
He added that prospects for new negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump depend entirely on the US side.
“We are polite and open to dialogue; when invited, we agree to discuss the format, location, and time.
However, when Americans cancel or delay these meetings, everything depends on their decision,” Lavrov commented to the Hungarian YouTube channel “Ultrahang.” No further comments about upcoming negotiations were provided by him.
He also remarked that the US is fueling tensions regarding Ukraine, and diplomatic dialogue remains open for further development.
Recall that on October 20, Lavrov and Rubio discussed potential future meetings via phone; the State Department highlighted the importance of US-Russian talks due to the situation in Ukraine.
On October 21, Lavrov dismissed the idea of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, which further increased diplomatic tensions.
Subsequently, US diplomats announced that the postponed meeting between Lavrov and Rubio and the preparations for Trump’s and Putin’s summit in Budapest had been temporarily suspended.
On October 23, Donald Trump officially stated that he had changed his mind about meeting with Putin in Budapest soon; instead, he indicated the meeting might be rescheduled.
Vladimir Putin commented that such a meeting was possible but might also be postponed to another time.
Finally, on October 25, Trump confirmed that he currently does not plan to meet with Putin until certain agreements to end the war in Ukraine are reached.