US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a surprise meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. The meeting took place shortly after President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in peace talks concerning the Ukraine war. Neither Rubio nor Lavrov made any public statements before the meeting. When asked about his message to the Russian counterpart, Rubio responded with a wink. This meeting occurred amidst uncertainty following a Pentagon-directed pause on weapon shipments to Ukraine, which President Trump had publicly criticized. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth approved the halt without informing the White House. Subsequently, Trump stated his disapproval of Putin’s actions and announced the approval of defensive weapon shipments to Ukraine. Trump also sharply criticized Putin’s offers, labeling them as “meaningless.” Following these developments, Russia launched its largest drone assault on Ukraine, deploying over 700 drones.
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