MOSCOW, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the Ukraine crisis, bilateral relations and regional issues on Thursday during the ongoing ASEAN meetings in Manila, capital of the Philippines, said the Russian foreign ministry.
According to a ministry statement, the two sides exchanged views on a broad range of bilateral and international issues, following up on recent high-level contacts.
During the discussion on the Ukraine crisis, Lavrov briefed Rubio on the current situation along the line of contact, stressing the unacceptability of continued arms supplies to Ukraine and criticizing the policies of European countries that seek to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia.
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict and reiterated Moscow's commitment to proposals put forward by the U.S. side during the 2025 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska.
They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the situation in the Persian Gulf.
Welcoming the resumption of full-fledged contacts between Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos and NASA, both Lavrov and Rubio voiced support for expanding inter-parliamentary exchanges and cultural ties.
The two sides also discussed efforts to normalize the operating conditions of their respective diplomatic missions. ■