Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he has a planned meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York during the UN General Assembly. The US State Department confirmed that Rubio will be in New York between September 20 and 23 for the session of the world organization.
Lavrov did not give public details of the agenda, but Russian media reported that the conversation is expected to be dedicated to Ukraine. At the same time, the American side has not yet officially announced specific topics or the format of the meeting between the two diplomats.
Meeting against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly
The potential conversation comes in the week when a number of foreign ministers and leaders gather in New York for the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. According to publications by Reuters and the Associated Press, Rubio will participate in the diplomatic meetings in the city, and the Russian side has confirmed Lavrov's intention to meet with him on the spot.
If the meeting takes place, it will be one of the most significant contacts between Moscow and Washington against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and tense relations between the two countries.
There was already contact between Lavrov and Rubio through diplomatic channels earlier this year, and the topic of Ukraine remains the main focus of talks between Moscow and Washington.
The official spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, confirmed during a regular briefing that the possibility of holding a direct bilateral meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently being actively explored.
Such a meeting would be the first direct face-to-face contact between the heads of diplomacy of Moscow and Washington after the serious reshuffles in the US administration and the appointment of Rubio, known for his hard-line foreign policy.
Topics on the table: From Ukraine to strategic stability
Diplomatic sources predict that the agenda of the possible talks will be extremely busy. Among the main topics are expected to be the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, security in the Arctic and control over strategic nuclear weapons.
„If the meeting is fully agreed, it will be held in New York. The Russian side is always open to dialogue, as long as it is conducted on the basis of mutual respect and consideration of national interests,“ Zakharova emphasized.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, U.S. State Department, Russian Foreign Ministry