Lavrov Warns US Over Ukraine Arms Supplies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the United States against continuing what Moscow described as “unacceptable” weapons deliveries to Ukraine during talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The meeting took place on Thursday in Manila during a Southeast Asian summit and marked the first discussion between the two officials since September 2025. The talks came as Washington shifted more attention from efforts to mediate the Ukraine war towards addressing conflict in the Middle East.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov told Rubio that continued arms supplies to Kyiv were unacceptable. Moscow said the discussion focused on concerns over US military support for Ukraine.

After the 30-minute meeting, Rubio described the conversation as “a good conversation, a frank conversation” but did not provide specific details. When asked about the weapons issue, he said: “We sell weapons through PURL… There has been no change in our policy in this regard.”

The PURL initiative allows Ukraine to receive US military equipment purchased by NATO allies. Rubio said the United States wants to support efforts towards a peaceful solution, adding that ending the conflict would require an agreement acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine.

“We want a peace deal. We want the war to end,” Rubio said, adding that achieving this would require “a lot of work.”

Lavrov also repeated Moscow’s position that Russia remains open to a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

Before the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about restarting stalled peace discussions. Zelensky said the talks focused on strengthening diplomacy and moving closer to peace.

The Ukraine war has continued into its fifth year, with Kyiv increasing long-range drone attacks against Russian targets while Moscow has intensified missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. Recent attacks have caused deaths on both sides, according to authorities in affected areas.

Rubio and Lavrov also discussed the Middle East conflict during their meeting, with Moscow criticising recent US strikes against its Iranian ally.

Do diplomatic talks between major powers offer the best path towards ending long-running conflicts?