During a meeting with US counterpart Marco Rubio in Manila on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cautioned Washington against sending "unacceptable" weapons to Ukraine, according to Moscow.
According to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, Lavrov informed the US secretary of state that "it was unacceptable to continue supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime."
Moscow's top diplomat denounced "a destabilising policy by European countries, which are still seeking to inflict a 'strategic defeat' on Russia" during their discussion, which took place on the fringes of a summit of foreign ministers from Southeast Asia.Lavrov and Rubio's first meeting since September 2025 coincides with Washington's shift from mediating in Ukraine to addressing the Middle East conflict.
The "US-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war" was the topic of discussion between Rubio and Lavrov, who did not speak to the media prior to their meeting, according to a brief statement from the US State Department.
Moscow said Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's readiness for a "political-diplomatic resolution to the conflict."The two senior diplomats are in the Philippines for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) talks.They were also supposed to talk about the Middle East issue, where Moscow has denounced Washington's attacks on its ally Iran.

Lavrov and Rubio's first meeting since September 2025 coincides with Washington's shift from mediating in Ukraine to addressing the Middle East conflict.
Cooperation areas
Lavrov and Rubio attended an ASEAN conference on Thursday after having a brief conversation at a gala dinner on Tuesday.Rubio told reporters on Wednesday, "I believe that the war in Ukraine has hindered Russia and the United States' ability to find areas of agreement on other topics."That doesn't mean we won't look for other possible areas of collaboration.However, on the other hand, we want that war to stop," he stated.In an attempt to "help bring about an end" to the conflict, US President Donald Trump has expressed support for Ukraine's campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russian energy facilities.
In the fifth year of the conflict, daily life in Russia has been disrupted by Kyiv's apparent stalling of Moscow's relentless onslaught and significant expansion of its drone operations.
As Ukraine battles with dwindling air defense supplies, Moscow has intensified its lethal missile assaults against Kyiv, unleashing dozens of difficult-to-intercept rounds.