Rubio meets Lavrov in Malaysia as Russia hammers Ukraine, Trump trains gun at Putin

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday in Malaysia at a tense diplomatic moment marked by Russia’s intensified military assault on Ukraine and a sudden hardening of US posture under former President Donald Trump.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of a regional ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, came just hours after Moscow launched one of its most intense barrages on Ukrainian cities in recent months. With debris still being cleared in Kyiv and Kharkiv, Rubio and Lavrov sat down for what observers believe were fraught discussions over the future of the war and Washington’s shifting response to it.

While the Biden administration had maintained a steady, if cautious, supply line to Ukraine, it is Trump’s recent reversal that has drawn attention. After long championing rapprochement with Vladimir Putin and even scaling back military support for Ukraine during his presidency, Trump has in recent days executed a sharp pivot.

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Leaked audio revealed the former president expressing growing frustration with Russia’s stalling of peace talks, signalling that he now sees Moscow, not Kyiv, as the primary obstacle to a ceasefire.

In a notable shift, Trump this week approved a fresh package of advanced weaponry for Ukraine, a move that Rubio is expected to reinforce in his talks with Lavrov. US officials say Trump is increasingly impatient with Russia’s tactics and that the Rubio-Lavrov meeting was intended to deliver that message with clarity.

The meeting also coincides with a parallel diplomatic effort in Europe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is hosting European leaders in Rome on Thursday for a separate summit focused on Ukraine, reflecting a broader international push to revive peace negotiations and pressure Russia diplomatically.

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While details of the Malaysia talks remain undisclosed, analysts say the optics of the meeting, especially with Russia escalating attacks and Trump pivoting away from his earlier friendly stance toward Putin, signal a possible turning point in US-Russia relations.

“The tone has clearly changed,” said one Western diplomat familiar with the agenda. “Rubio came in not to negotiate, but to warn.”

Whether Moscow responds to this tougher line remains uncertain. But with new weapons now en route to Ukraine and international attention refocusing on Putin’s next moves, the message from Washington appears to be: enough is enough.

With inputs from agencies