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Donald Trump’s ‘frustration’ conveyed as US, Russia hold ‘frank’ talks on Ukraine war
The diplomatic exchange came just hours after Russia launched a second consecutive night of air strikes on the Ukrainian capital.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state Marco Rubio held “frank” discussions on the Ukraine war during a meeting on Thursday.
Speaking after the meeting, Rubio said Lavrov had presented a “new idea” on resolving the conflict, which he would relay to US President Donald Trump. However, he downplayed the likelihood of an immediate breakthrough.
“It’s not a new approach. It’s a new idea or a new concept that I’ll take back to the president to discuss,” Rubio told reporters. “It’s not something that automatically leads to peace, but it could potentially open the door to a path,” he added.
The diplomatic exchange came just hours after Russia launched a second consecutive night of air strikes on the Ukrainian capital, killing two civilians and injuring dozens. The United Nations said June saw the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine in over three years.
Rubio said he conveyed President Trump’s “disappointment and frustration” to Lavrov over the protracted conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
“I echoed what the president said, both a disappointment and frustration at the lack of progress,” he added, reiterating criticism of Moscow’s unwillingness to compromise.
President Trump, who recently pushed Ukraine and Russia to resume negotiations for the first time in three years, has so far failed to secure any concessions from the Kremlin. Earlier this week, he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of talking “bullshit” on Ukraine.
Zelensky says US has confirmed new arms deliveries to Kyiv
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States had confirmed new arms deliveries to Kyiv and that he had been given “specific dates” for their arrival.
The leaders of Britain and France also announced plans to deploy a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was “working closely with allies to get Ukraine the help they need” after discussions with Trump.
Volodymyr Zelensky attended a conference in Rome, where he appealed for greater international political and military backing.
Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of wanting “our people to suffer, to flee Ukraine and for homes, schools, for life itself to be destroyed,” and urged Western leaders to increase their defence investments.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, denied that peace negotiations were stalled and insisted it remained open to dialogue.
Despite that claim, Moscow has refused to agree to a ceasefire for months, and two previous rounds of talks with Ukraine have failed to yield any breakthrough.
With AFP inputs
