Lavrov and Rubio hold phone call

Russia’s foreign minister and the US Secretary of State agreed to maintain regular contacts, including preparations for a meeting between Putin and Trump

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday. The top diplomats agreed to hold regular contacts, including coordinating preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump.

The call comes just days after Putin and Trump held a phone conversation, marking the first known direct interaction between leaders of the two nations since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The two presidents agreed to continue dialogue, arrange an in-person meeting in a third country and make reciprocal visits going forward.

According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov and Rubio reaffirmed their readiness to work together on restoring a mutually respectful interstate dialogue between the two countries. The top diplomats agreed to hold “regular contacts, including on preparing a Russian-American meeting at the top level.”

Russia and the US will organize a meeting of experts in the near future to remove obstacles to the proper functioning of diplomatic missions.