US, Russia Discuss Ukraine Amid Kyiv Attacks

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia for 50 minutes to discuss the Ukraine conflict, as Russian attacks on Kyiv escalated and led to civilian casualties. Rubio conveyed President Trump's frustration over Russia's inflexibility and pressed for a peace roadmap, while Lavrov insisted that recognition of Russia's annexed territories was key to any settlement and presented new, undisclosed peace concepts. Concurrently, Russia launched another major missile and drone assault on Kyiv, highlighting the need for increased U.S. air defense support for Ukraine. President Zelensky, meanwhile, secured significant new aid and weapons pledges from Western allies. The two sides also discussed economic and humanitarian cooperation and the normalization of diplomatic relations. Although the meeting yielded no breakthrough, it demonstrated ongoing engagement amid worsening violence.