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Top US and Russian officials have held face-to-face talks amid growing indications that the United States is preparing to impose new sanctions on Russia.
Some shit you should know before you read: Over the last month, President Trump’s comments related to Russia have taken a dramatic turn. During a Cabinet meeting this week, Trump expressed growing frustration with Putin, stating, “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.” He described a recent phone call with the Russian leader as “disappointing,” adding that he was “not happy” with Putin. In a notable reversal, Trump announced that the US would resume sending defensive weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missile systems, to help counter intensifying Russian attacks. He is also reviewing a sanctions bill introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham that would impose 500% tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, and uranium — an economic measure aimed at choking off funding for Moscow’s war machine.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur. The 50-minute meeting came amid growing expectations that President Donald Trump may soon announce a new round of sanctions against Russia — possibly as early as Monday. While no breakthrough was announced, Rubio described the session as “a new and a different approach,” and said the two sides “shared some ideas about what that might look like,” in reference to potential pathways to ending the Ukraine conflict.
Rubio was cautious about characterizing the discussion as a peace breakthrough, stating, “I wouldn’t characterize it as something that guarantees a peace, but it’s a concept that, you know, that I’ll take back to the president.” He acknowledged President Trump’s mounting frustration with Moscow’s stance, adding, “The president has been disappointed and frustrated that there’s not been more flexibility on the Russian side.” He added, “We need to see a roadmap about how this conflict can conclude.”
For his part, Lavrov confirmed that Ukraine was a primary focus of the talks and said he reiterated the Kremlin’s position as previously outlined by President Putin during a July 3 conversation with Trump. Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the meeting as a “substantive and frank exchange of views” and noted that discussions also touched on Syria, Iran, and other global flashpoints. The ministry added that both countries “reaffirmed their mutual commitment to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts,” while also emphasizing the need to “restore Russian-American economic and humanitarian cooperation” and resume “unimpeded contact” between their societies — points that could become politically fraught if new US sanctions are imposed.
