US-RUSSIA: Rubio & Lavrov Meet As Moscow Signals No Move Toward UKR Peace Talks
Russia's state-run Interfax confirms that the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is underway. The meeting is the fifth between the two since 2025. Interfax: "Lavrov previously stated that he plans to discuss, in particular, Washington's vision of the situation in Ukraine during his meeting with Rubio." * Ahead of the meeting, Kremlin spox Dmitry Peskov claimed that there remain no grounds for peace talks with Ukraine to start. Peskov: "For now, there are no prerequisites for moving onto a peaceful negotiating track, although we, as the Russian side, remain open to peace talks," * Not for the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked up the prospect of trilateral talks between him, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. As has been the case to date, Russia again shut down such a prospect, saying a bilateral Putin-Trump meeting would be possible, but that meeting with the Ukrainian leader would only be possible in Moscow. Kyiv has demanded any such summit take place in a neutral location. * At an earlier meeting between Rubio
Russia's state-run Interfax confirms that the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is underway. The meeting is the fifth between the two since 2025. " * Ahead of the meeting, Kremlin spox Dmitry Peskov claimed that there remain no grounds for peace talks with Ukraine to start.
Peskov: "For now, there are no prerequisites for moving onto a peaceful negotiating track, although we, as the Russian side, remain open to peace talks," * Not for the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked up the prospect of trilateral talks between him, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. As has been the case to date, Russia again shut down such a prospect, saying a bilateral Putin-Trump meeting would be possible, but that meeting with the Ukrainian leader would only be possible in Moscow. Kyiv has demanded any such summit take place in a neutral location.
* At an earlier meeting between Rubio and Indian Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, the Indian minister said he reiterated concerns over the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, signed by President Trump on 18 Sep. The Act opens up the prospect of countries purchasing large quantities of Russian oil and gas being subject to US secondary sanctions.