News Feed

Rubio discusses 'new approach' to ending Russian war in talks with Lavrov despite US 'frustration'

2 min read
Rubio discusses 'new approach' to ending Russian war in talks with Lavrov despite US 'frustration'
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio takes part in a media briefing during the 58th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 10, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he discussed a "new and different approach" to ending Moscow's war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia on July 10, speaking at a follow-up press conference.

"I wouldn't characterize it as something that guarantees peace, but it’s a concept that, you know, that I'll take back to the president (Donald Trump)," Rubio said, without giving further details.

"We're going to continue to stay involved where we see opportunities to make a difference."

Moscow has consistently ignored a U.S.-proposed ceasefire agreement, has escalated attacks on Ukrainian civilians, and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared in June that "all of Ukraine is ours."

Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of face-to-face talks in Istanbul this year, first on May 16 and again on June 2, following more than three years without direct negotiations. The meetings resulted in major prisoner exchanges, but no significant steps toward a ceasefire.

Rubio's remarks came after a meeting with Lavrov, which took place after another Russia's large-scale drone and missile strike on Ukraine.

The diplomatic push continues amid efforts by Trump to broker a ceasefire and peace agreement in Ukraine. However, despite Moscow's intensified attacks, the Trump administration neither imposed new sanctions on Moscow since taking office nor approved additional aid packages.

On July 2, the Pentagon announced a pause in deliveries of key military aid to Kyiv, including Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions.

Trump later denied involvement in the decision and expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to pursue a ceasefire. As of July 10, shipments of at least some weapons to Ukraine have been reportedly resumed.

Earlier in a day, Rubio said that aid to Kyiv is proceeding according to the established schedule. He also echoed Trump’s "disappointment and frustration at the lack of progress."

"We need to see a roadmap moving forward about how this (war) can conclude. And then we shared some ideas about what that might look like," Rubio added.

‘You think the end has come’ — as Russian attacks on Ukraine escalate, Kyiv grapples with terrifying new normal
In the early hours of July 10, many Kyiv residents were jolted awake by the thundering sound of ballistic missiles shaking their buildings. Others were already lying awake in beds, bathtubs, and underground shelters across the city, as residents endure a new normal of intensified Russian strikes on the capital. “You lie down, look into the abyss of night, and hear the loudest attack,” Hryhorii Matsebok, a 47-year-old artist, told the Kyiv Independent. “And you think the end has already come.”
Article image
News Feed
Video

The Kyiv Independent staff documented what it feels like to live and sleep in Kyiv, Ukraine, as Russia intensifies its drone and missile attacks on the city. Filmed over several weeks in June and July, our journalists take shelter in bathrooms, basements, and parking garages as explosions ring out overhead.

Show More