Rubio says he spoke to Lavrov about potential Trump-Putin meeting at Apec

Atlanta: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed on Saturday that he had a brief conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting. The discussion centered around the possibility of leaders from both nations meeting at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for mid-November. However, Rubio clarified that their encounter was informal and did not occur during the two-day G20 gathering in Atlanta, Georgia.

This announcement followed Lavrov's earlier statement that the two ministers engaged in a "decent talk." Russia's participation in the G20 meeting in Atlanta has stirred tensions among European nations, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to Western isolation. European officials objected to a planned photograph featuring all G20 ministers together, expressing discomfort with appearing alongside Lavrov.

The Russian minister's presence in Atlanta, however, highlighted the thawing of US-Russia relations. Rubio emphasized the importance of communication between the United States and Russia, citing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Moscow's nuclear arsenal as reasons for maintaining dialogue. He added that if the US could assist in mediating an end to the Ukrainian war, it would be prepared to do so, provided it could communicate with both sides.