Russia Warns US Against Further Arms Supply To Ukraine
Russia has renewed its demand for the United States to halt military support for Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warning that continued arms supplies to Kyiv remain unacceptable.
Lavrov delivered the message during talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, Philippines.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov insisted that Washington’s continued supply of weapons to Ukraine was prolonging the conflict and undermining efforts to achieve peace.
The Russian minister also criticised European nations for what he described as policies aimed at inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia, accusing them of escalating tensions instead of encouraging dialogue.
The meeting marked the first face-to-face discussions between Lavrov and Rubio since September 2025. Although no joint briefing was held after the talks, the US State Department said both officials discussed bilateral relations and the urgent need to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Moscow maintained that it remains open to resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means, while urging all parties to pursue negotiations rather than military escalation.
Speaking to journalists during the ASEAN summit, Rubio acknowledged that the prolonged war had complicated broader US-Russia relations but stressed that Washington was still willing to explore areas of mutual cooperation.
“The conflict has limited opportunities for cooperation between both countries, but we continue to hope for an end to the war,” Rubio said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that he had held separate discussions with President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to revive stalled peace negotiations.
According to Zelensky, the talks focused on finding fresh pathways to bring the years-long conflict closer to a peaceful resolution.
The latest diplomatic engagements come amid intensified fighting on both sides. Ukraine has expanded its long-range drone attacks on Russian infrastructure, while Russia has stepped up missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities despite ongoing international calls for a negotiated settlement.
