Rubio and Lavrov discuss possible Trump-Putin talks at APEC in China; US sees growing interest in Black Sea truce
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he briefly discussed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the possibility of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin talking at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November. Speaking at the G20 meeting in Atlanta, Rubio also said international interest is growing in a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea to protect grain and energy shipments, but he remains sceptical about a negotiated peace.
"We briefly touched upon the possibility of our leaders having an exchange during the APEC summit next month," Rubio told a news conference on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, AFP reported. He stressed it was not a formal meeting but a short exchange of words. Lavrov said on Friday he had had "a rather pleasant conversation with Mr Rubio, for obvious reasons short", covering bilateral relations and cooperation in multilateral organisations. Lavrov's presence in Atlanta had already led the US to cancel the traditional G20 family photo after European delegations refused to pose with him.
Rubio said Washington is studying proposals from Turkey and India to unblock grain shipments, as merchant ships are frequently attacked in the Black Sea. "This situation threatens global food security and, to some extent, energy security," he said. "It does not end the war, but at least it solves one specific aspect of it." Asked about a wider deal, he said he did not know whether a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine could be reached.
In Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Volodymyr Zelensky and urged both Russia and Ukraine to act "responsibly" in the Black Sea. "Attacks on civilian ships and actions that lead to further escalation of tensions in the Black Sea serve no one's interests," Erdogan said. Zelensky and Erdogan back a new corridor for grain exports.