US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that he had spoken briefly with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of G20 talks in Atlanta, Georgia. The two discussed a possible interaction between their countries’ leaders next month.
Rubio referred to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in mid-November. “We spoke just briefly about the opportunity for our leaders to potentially interact at APEC next month,” he said at a press conference. He added that he did not hold a formal meeting with Lavrov during the two-day gathering of G20 foreign ministers, which wrapped up that day.
Tensions over Lavrov’s presence at the G20 meeting
Lavrov’s attendance had already sparked tensions among European countries. Russia has been shunned by most of the West since its 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. On Friday, a traditional family photo of G20 ministers was canceled after some European officials objected to appearing alongside him.
The foreign ministers’ meeting was meant to prepare the ground for a December G20 leaders’ summit at President Donald Trump’s Doral resort in Miami. Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to that gathering, where diplomatic tensions could become sharper. On Saturday, Trump told reporters he would have “no problem” inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well.
Rubio stresses need for US-Russia communication
Rubio’s remarks came a day after Lavrov told reporters that the two men had a “decent talk.” The Russian minister’s appearance also underscored warmer ties between Washington and Moscow.
“It is always important that the United States and Russia have communications at some level because of the danger of escalation in the future,” Rubio told reporters. He pointed to both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Moscow’s nuclear weapons.
On the war in Ukraine, Rubio said: “If we can play a role in mediating an end to that conflict, the United States is prepared to play that role.” He added: “And to play that role, we have to have the ability to communicate with both sides.”
