Washington and Moscow have taken a step toward renewed diplomatic engagement, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held discussions on Saturday regarding the next stage of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
According to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, both diplomats agreed to work toward restoring communication channels between the United States and Russia. However, details on the timing of the next round of peace talks were not disclosed.
During their conversation, Rubio also briefed Lavrov on recent military operations in the Middle East, particularly the U.S. airstrikes against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen. The strikes were carried out on Saturday as part of Washington’s response to growing regional instability.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine have made limited progress. Despite recent tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyiv has agreed in principle to a U.S.-brokered 30-day unconditional ceasefire—contingent on Moscow halting its attacks in eastern Ukraine. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not accepted the proposed truce, instead presenting conditions beyond those outlined in the U.S.-Ukraine agreement.
