Lavrov, Rubio hold phone call ahead of planned Trump-Putin meeting

Editor's note: The story was updated with additional details.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Oct. 20, Russia's Foreign Ministry announced.
The call followed U.S. President Donald Trump's Oct. 16 announcement that he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest as part of renewed efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said that the two officials held a "constructive discussion" regarding possible next steps on implementing the agreements reached by Trump and Putin last week.
Rubio "emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war," according to a U.S. State Department readout.
The decision to hold the summit in Budapest came after a two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation between Trump and Putin on Oct. 16, during which they agreed to organize a high-level U.S.-Russia meeting.
Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said that the call between Lavrov and Rubio would serve as the first step in preparing for the upcoming summit. The talks are expected to help finalize the dates.
Lavrov and Rubio are also scheduled to meet in person on Oct. 23, according to Reuters.
The phone call follows a meeting between Trump and Zelensky in the White House on Oct. 17, which ended in disappointment for Ukraine.
While Kyiv hoped to secure a deal on U.S. Tomahawk missiles, Trump made no decision regarding the long-range weapons and reportedly pressed Zelensky on Putin's territorial demands.
The Russian leader reportedly demanded that Ukraine cede the entire Donetsk Oblast during his phone call with Trump on Oct. 16, while indicating willingness to give up parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
The renewed outreach comes amid growing skepticism about the U.S.-led months-long push to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
Trump and Putin previously met in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss peace settlement in Russia's war against Ukraine and broader cooperation, marking their first meeting since the U.S. president returned to office.
While Trump previously pledged to arrange direct talks between Zelensky and Putin, no agreement was reached.
Zelensky rejected Putin's invitation to meet in Moscow, calling it impossible while Russia continues bombing Ukrainian cities, but has said he is ready to meet the Russian leader on neutral ground.
After Trump announced a new summit hosted by Hungary, led by Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Zelensky said that Budapest is not an ideal venue, but voiced readiness to participate if formally invited.
