Russia's Lavrov announces talks with US's Rubio, discusses global issues

On July 22, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced upcoming negotiations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that the two countries must maintain dialogue. Lavrov also revealed the topics of the talks, which include concerns over Germany's nuclear projects, the war in Ukraine, and support for North Korea. He accused the US of directly guiding Ukrainian strikes on Russia and expressed Russia's interest in ending the conflict between Iran and the US, while also showing understanding for North Korea's self-defense aspirations. Additionally, Russia and China jointly called on the US and Iran to end fighting as soon as possible.