The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated on Wednesday that the Donald Trump administration remains willing to facilitate an end to the war in Ukraine, although he acknowledged that negotiations are currently facing a complex situation and that a potential agreement will only be possible through "completely new" proposals.
The statements were made in Manila, Philippines, at the conclusion of his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Summit. Rubio also held meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other regional leaders, according to a report from ABC News.
During his appearance before the press, Rubio rejected the so-called "3+2" plan, which emerged from the summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held in Alaska in August 2025, stating that it cannot serve as a basis for a peace negotiation today.
"You cannot have a peace agreement unless both parties are in agreement, and the Ukrainians would not agree. That’s why that effort did not work," he stated.
The head of U.S. diplomacy added that those proposals are now "probably less acceptable" to Ukraine than when they were first presented, which, in practice, closes the door to resuming that negotiation framework.
Moscow insists on its stance
The Russian position remains very different. Following the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Lavrov reiterated to Rubio that Moscow considers it "unacceptable" for the West to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine and accused several European countries of pursuing a "strategic defeat" of Russia.
The Russian foreign minister avoided answering most of the questions posed by journalists at the end of the meeting.
Rubio admitted that previous mediation efforts led by Washington have not made concrete progress, although he insisted that President Trump keeps the diplomatic channel open.
"That has been the challenge: to find an ending that both parties can agree on. We have tried, and we will continue to try, to find a middle ground that makes it possible. We are ready to play that role if the opportunity arises," he declared.
He also made it clear that U.S. military support for Kiev has not changed and reminded that several NATO allies continue to acquire armaments that are subsequently transferred to Ukraine.
A war competing for Washington's attention
Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are taking place in an increasingly complex international landscape. The war with Iran, which began in early 2026 and escalated after the failure of a temporary ceasefire, has forced the U.S. administration to divide its attention among various foreign policy fronts.
Nevertheless, Rubio reiterated a stance he had already expressed during an official visit to India last May, when he stated that the war "needs to come to an end" and that the United States was "ready and prepared to facilitate" an agreement.
"Peace will come with new ideas."
More than four years after the start of the Russian invasion, the conflict remains stagnant. By the end of July 2026, fighting continues along an extensive front line, with no decisive territorial advances and no active ceasefire in place.
In that context, Rubio insisted that any negotiated solution will require abandoning the previous frameworks.
"When peace arrives, it will be due to some new idea and new concepts. We are prepared to present some of those at the right time and in the right manner, if the opportunity arises and the conditions are suitable," he concluded.
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