Russia says Lavrov and Rubio held constructive pre-summit call

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Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reacts as he talks to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the 15th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia July 11, 2025. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain

MOSCOW - Russia said its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, tasked with preparing a summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, held a constructive conversation on Monday.

Putin and Trump agreed in a phone call last Thursday to meet soon in Budapest, Hungary for their second summit this year, and the two sides said Lavrov and Rubio would speak to prepare the meeting.

A constructive discussion took place regarding possible concrete steps to implement the understandings reached during the October 16 telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.

It gave no further detail on the conversation.

Russia says it wants the summit to discuss a possible peace settlement in Ukraine and ways to improve bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington. REUTERS