Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the state of bilateral relations and international issues in a telephone conversation on 5 May, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Moscow characterised the conversation as constructive and businesslike. “The foreign ministers “reconciled hours” on the current situation in international affairs and Russian-American relations, as well as discussed the schedule of bilateral contacts,” Russian agencies quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying.
The US side’s comment has not been officially made public.
Last week, on 29 April, it was reported about the telephone conversation between the US and Russian presidents, which lasted an hour and a half. White House head Donald Trump called the conversation with Vladimir Putin “very good.” According to Trump, Ukraine and Iran were discussed. At the time, the US President noted that he offered Putin a “small truce” in Ukraine.
Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has stated the need to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. The US has acted as a mediator while organising a series of talks that have not resulted in a ceasefire. It is argued that the main issue remains territorial – Russia cites control over the entire Donetsk region as a condition for starting a dialogue on the terms of a peace treaty, which is unacceptable to Ukraine.
The last direct trilateral talks took place in February. Contacts were on pause after the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.