Overview
- Sergey Lavrov said he is ready for an in-person meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marking his re-emergence after weeks out of view.
- Lavrov reiterated that any settlement must reflect Russian interests, including Kyiv renouncing NATO membership and withdrawing from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and he said Moscow awaits U.S. confirmation that the Anchorage understandings still stand.
- The outreach comes after the planned Putin–Trump meeting in Budapest was scrapped, with multiple reports citing Russia’s refusal to soften demands or accept a ceasefire.
- Cross-border escalation continued as Ukrainian strikes disrupted power and heating in Belgorod and Voronezh, while Russia launched large attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that caused widespread outages.
- Kremlin messaging diverged when Lavrov referenced work on plans for a possible nuclear test, even as spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia has no intention to resume testing.