U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held direct talks in Kuala Lumpur just hours after another deadly Russian attack on Kyiv and the killing of a top Ukrainian intelligence officer.
Both sides called the talks "frank." Rubio said Lavrov shared a new idea to help end the war, which he will present to President Trump. He didn’t give details but said it could open a door to peace, though it doesn’t guarantee it.
Trump, frustrated that the war has lasted over three years since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, plans to make a big announcement about Russia soon. Despite talks with Putin, Trump has not been able to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire. He recently accused Putin of spreading falsehoods about the war.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said the U.S. will send more weapons to help defend Ukraine and already shared delivery dates. Trump supported this, saying NATO is paying for the weapons the U.S. is sending. NATO chief Mark Rutte confirmed close cooperation to support Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Britain and France said they’re ready to send peacekeeping forces if a ceasefire is reached.
Two persons were killed and twenty-two injured in the most recent Russian strike on Kyiv. Just one day after firing a record 741 missiles and drones in one night, Ukraine claimed that Russia had launched 415 more. According to the UN, at least 232 civilians were killed and over 1,300 were injured in June, the most in three years.
In a separate incident, a senior Ukrainian security officer was shot dead in a Kyiv parking lot. Police are searching for the shooter, who escaped on foot.
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