Top US, Russia diplomats discuss Ukraine, Syria and Iran on ASEAN sidelines

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have held rare face-to-face talks on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Malaysia, discussing the war in Ukraine, as well as developments in Iran and Syria. “A substantive and frank exchange of views took place on the settlement of the situation around Ukraine, the situation around Iran and Syria, as well as a number of other international issues,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the meeting on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. Both sides reportedly expressed interest in easing tensions and resuming dialogue in areas beyond the battlefield. The meeting between the top Russian and US diplomats comes at a time of heightened global polarisation, with ASEAN serving as one of the few venues where dialogue among rival powers still takes place. Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride reports from Kuala Lumpur. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #USAseanTalks #USRussiaDialogue #UkrainePeace #ASEAN2025 #RubioLavrov #UraineWar #IsraelIranWar #GlobalConflict #UkraineRussiaPeaceProcess #ASEANForum