US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) meets with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur. AFP
Rubio said Lavrov had introduced a “new idea” on the war in Ukraine, without disclosing details. “It’s not a new approach. It’s a new idea or a new concept that I’ll take back to the president to discuss,” he told reporters. “It’s not something that automatically leads to peace, but it could potentially open the door to a path.”
Russia did not comment on the proposal.
The meeting came hours after Russian forces launched a second consecutive night of heavy strikes on the Ukrainian capital, killing two people and wounding 22, according to local officials. Ukrainian authorities identified the dead as a 22-year-old police officer and a 68-year-old woman.
AFP reporters in Kyiv saw flames rising from damaged residential buildings and residents emerging from shelters as the air alert was lifted. The attack followed Russia’s record barrage the previous night, when it fired 741 drones and missiles across the country.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed Thursday’s strike targeted “military-industrial enterprises” and airbases in Kyiv.
The United Nations said the civilian toll in June had reached its highest level in three years. “Civilians across Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we have not seen in over three years,” said Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The UN verified 232 civilians killed and 1,343 wounded during the month.
Moscow denied that peace talks were at a dead end, saying it was still open to negotiations and waiting for “signals” from Kyiv. Two earlier rounds of talks have produced no progress, and Russia has refused to agree to a ceasefire.
Rubio said he had conveyed President Donald Trump’s frustration over the war’s continuation. “I echoed what the president said—both a disappointment and frustration at the lack of progress,” he said.
Trump, who recently forced both sides back to the negotiating table, has grown increasingly critical of Vladimir Putin, accusing the Russian leader of talking “bullshit” on Ukraine.
As the diplomats met in Kuala Lumpur, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Rome urging European leaders to increase political and military support. “Putin wants our people to suffer, to flee Ukraine and for homes, schools, for life itself to be destroyed,” Zelensky said, calling for faster sanctions and greater investment in defence.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 415 drones and missiles in the latest barrage.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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