Lavrov tells Rubio Ukraine arms deliveries 'unacceptable'
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- Sergei Lavrov warned Marco Rubio during a 30-minute meeting in Manila on July 23, 2026 — their first since September 2025 — that continued U.S. arms supplies to the 'Kyiv regime' were 'unacceptable,' according to Moscow's foreign ministry.
- Marco Rubio defended the PURL initiative — launched last year to channel U.S. equipment to Ukraine via NATO allies — telling reporters 'there has been no change in our policy' and that the U.S. 'wants a peace deal' both Russia and Ukraine can agree to.
- Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner shortly before the Manila meeting in a bid to reinvigorate stalled peace diplomacy.
- Donald Trump has voiced support for Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, saying they could 'help bring about an end' to the conflict.
- Lavrov and Rubio also discussed West Asia, with Moscow condemning recent U.S. strikes on its Iranian ally — a separate front as Washington's focus has shifted from mediating in Ukraine to that conflict.
- On July 23, Russian airstrikes killed three people in eastern Ukraine while Ukrainian attacks killed four in Russia and annexed Crimea, underscoring the fighting continues even as diplomacy resumes.
Why it matters: The Manila sit-down confirms the diplomatic channel is open, but the substance shows the gap is widening: Lavrov flatly declared arms to Ukraine 'unacceptable,' while Rubio confirmed zero policy change and Trump backs Kyiv's deep strikes inside Russia. With Washington pivoting toward West Asia, Ukraine's military backing is now defended through the PURL NATO-purchase workaround rather than direct escalation — meaning the U.S. is keeping Kyiv armed while publicly asking for a peace deal neither side can yet accept.
