Lavrov-Rubio meeting takes place on sidelines of UN General Assembly
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks in New York on 23 September, with the meeting lasting about an hour. The discussions took place on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and were conducted behind closed doors, without opening statements to the press.
According to TASS, Lavrov and Rubio did not answer questions from journalists before the talks began. The meeting was their first since July, when the two diplomats met on the sidelines of ASEAN-related events in Manila.
The talks came as diplomatic attention remains focused on the war in Ukraine and the future of US-Russian relations. Ahead of the meeting, reports said discussions were expected to cover the conflict and broader bilateral relations, while Lavrov had indicated that he intended to clarify Washington’s position on Ukraine and its mediation efforts.
The meeting also followed talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyyin New York, during which possible steps towards ending the conflict, including a potential ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure, were discussed.
The diplomatic contact comes against the backdrop of renewed sanctions pressure on Russia and continued fighting in Ukraine. Footage from the venue showed preparations for the talks in New York.
No detailed public account of substantive agreements reached during the hour-long meeting was immediately provided in the reports following its conclusion.
