Rubio meets Lavrov as US reassures Asian allies

On July 23, 2026, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks. The meeting covered topics including the war in Ukraine and normalizing conditions for diplomatic missions. Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's commitment to agreements made in Anchorage.

Meanwhile, Rubio also reassured Asian allies at an ASEAN summit that the US is not abandoning the region. The dual diplomatic efforts come as the US balances its commitments in Asia with ongoing tensions in Europe.