CNN: US, Russian top diplomats may hold new talks on postponed Trump–Putin meeting

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio may hold another phone conversation this week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss a possible meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which has been postponed, CNN reports.

According to the U.S. State Department, the two officials spoke on Monday and discussed “next steps” following last week’s conversation between the two presidents about a potential resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

Rubio reportedly emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as opportunities for Moscow and Washington to cooperate toward a long-term settlement consistent with President Trump’s vision.

The Kremlin described the call as a “constructive discussion” that touched on specific steps to implement the agreements reached during the Trump–Putin phone conversation.

However, a CNN source said that U.S. officials felt Moscow’s position had not moved beyond its maximalist stance. As a result, Rubio is unlikely to recommend a presidential meeting next week, though another Rubio–Lavrov call could take place later this week.

By Khagan Isayev