Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a scheduled meeting on the morning of July 23, 2026, in Manila on the sidelines of ASEAN-related events [1].

Rubio was in Manila from July 19 to 23 attending ASEAN meetings and publicly expressed readiness to meet Lavrov, though it was initially unclear if the meeting was finalized [2]. Kremlin officials confirmed they were working to arrange a meeting between the two as of July 20 [2].

Lavrov and Rubio met briefly at a reception on July 20 and agreed to a formal meeting later that week. Lavrov told reporters on July 22, "The meeting has already been agreed upon" and confirmed the meeting would occur on Thursday morning in Manila during ASEAN gatherings [1].

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the potential meeting, stating, "If there is contact at the level of the foreign ministers, we would only welcome it" and noted continued technical-level contacts between Russian and US foreign ministries despite no recent presidential-level conversations [3]. Peskov also said Russia remains open to dialogue with Europe but has not seen practical steps from countries like Germany toward restoring political talks [3].

Lavrov indicated he planned to ask Rubio about recent remarks by US President Donald Trump on a possible quick resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasizing ongoing engagement despite geopolitical tensions [1]. Lavrov added, "We proceed from the fact that, at least for now, our American colleagues have not responded by rejecting their own proposals that were voiced in Anchorage and which are now well known to everyone" [1].

The July 23 meeting marked an important diplomatic contact between Moscow and Washington during an event where multilateral discussions on regional and global affairs were ongoing. It was the first formal bilateral meeting between the two top diplomats in the context of the ASEAN summit.

Rubio's visit to Manila concluded on July 23, following the meeting with Lavrov and his participation in ASEAN sessions [2].