MANILA, Philippines — U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration is poised to help end the "senseless war" in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how U.S.-mediated talks have stalled.
He called them "unsuccessful or at least unfruitful" in the past but insisted that President Donald Trump was committed to the work "if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.""That's been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters."We've tried and we'll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about.
And we're prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself."Rubio met Lavrov and several other leaders, including China's foreign minister, on the sidelines of an annual gathering by foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.America's top diplomat said the U.S.is focused on Asia even as it steps up fighting with Iran, seeks a pathway to end Russia's war in Ukraine and pressures the Cuban government to make changes.Three days of closed-door talks that started Tuesday have centered on the escalating fighting in the Middle East and tensions in the South China Sea, where a new clash flared Thursday."There's always going to be a concern that America is so focused on one place that it can't focus on another," Rubio said.
But he noted that the U.S.remains "engaged in Asia every single day," citing strong partnerships and economic ties across the region.After meeting with Rubio, Lavrov largely ignored questions from reporters.
The Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow said he emphasized to Rubio "the unacceptability of further arming" Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing Russia's "strategic defeat."Lavrov reiterated Russia's r...