Rubio Remains Tight-Lipped After Meeting with Lavrov

During a press conference on Thursday in Manila, Secretary of State Marco Rubio chose not to disclose any specifics about his closed-door discussion with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He emphasized that if details were made public, it could jeopardize diplomatic efforts. “If we start broadcasting everything over a microphone, diplomacy will collapse,” he told reporters.

This conversation took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, and lasted around 35 minutes. When questioned about any advancements regarding the ongoing Ukraine situation, Rubio dismissed the notion, stating it wasn’t likely any issues could be resolved so quickly.

“Do you really think we could solve the Ukraine war in just 30 minutes here in Asia? That’s unrealistic,” he remarked. He reiterated his position by indicating that sharing the details of the conversation wouldn’t be beneficial for diplomacy.

Rubio underlined that the U.S. is prepared to facilitate a resolution to what he referred to as a “senseless war,” a sentiment he expressed in various discussions during the meeting.

When a reporter inquired whether Russia had hinted at sharing targeting information with Iran, Rubio responded with skepticism, questioning the origin of the claim. After the reporter referred to comments from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who stated that both Russia and China were enabling Iran’s actions, Rubio insisted that this issue needed further clarification, emphasizing the importance of identifying reliable sources.

He seemed to deflect responsibility, quipping, “If it’s in the media, it’s a leaker.” He also expressed skepticism about the veracity of claims implicating Russia in bolstering Iran’s capabilities, indicating that he wouldn’t discuss speculative information publicly.

The inquiry followed a Reuters report suggesting U.S. analysts were examining whether Russia had provided any technology used in Iranian attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf. However, they had not reached a definitive conclusion.

When asked about communications related to Iran’s requests for dialogue, Rubio said, “I can’t say for sure,” indicating that revealing such information would breach trust.

He was later pressed for details regarding the administration’s policy on Cuba, but Rubio declined to elaborate, stating simply, “I’m not going to do that today.”