On July 10, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. After the talks, Rubio expressed his disappointment over Russia’s lack of flexibility regarding the end of the war it started against Ukraine.
Rubio told reporters that the U.S. strategy is to engage all possible parties to find ways to resolve the conflict.
“I conveyed what the president said, and the frustration over the lack of progress in peace talks or a way forward. But it was an honest conversation. We also discussed some other issues unrelated to the war in Ukraine. However, this was clearly the first and main topic we addressed. The president is disappointed and upset that there was no greater flexibility from the Russian side to end this conflict. We hope that can change, and we will continue to be engaged wherever we see opportunities to alter the situation.”
– Marco Rubio
The Secretary of State also noted that some of Lavrov’s statements contained elements that could serve as a basis for further dialogue.
Rubio emphasized that the U.S. has warned Russia about the possibility of imposing new sanctions if necessary.
“The president needs flexibility regarding how and when these sanctions will be applied because that gives them maximum leverage in any talks and negotiations. So he spoke of this as a real option. And now, obviously, we have been engaging with the Senate, in particular over the past week, about what this legislation will look like. And leaders of both chambers have stated they are ready to start moving forward on this matter.”
– Marco Rubio
He added that the imposition of sanctions is a result of frustration over the lack of progress from Russia, but the final decision rests with the U.S. president.