Top US and Russian Diplomats Discuss Ukraine War in Manila The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila has provided a rare forum for high stakes diplomacy, as evidenced by the clandestine meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
This discreet encounter on the sidelines of the ASEAN gathering raises more questions than answers about the prospects for a settlement to the Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov's assertion that Russia remains committed to proposals put forward by presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in 2025 is at odds with Moscow's current actions on the ground.