Close
newsletters Newsletters
X Instagram Youtube

Russia tells US to stop ‘unacceptable’ arms deliveries to Ukraine

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 23, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Photo
BigPhoto
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 23, 2026. (AFP Photo)
July 23, 2026 10:36 AM GMT+03:00

Russia warned the United States on Thursday against making what it called "unacceptable" arms deliveries to Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov raised the issue during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila, where the Philippines is hosting a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners.

Lavrov "stressed that it was unacceptable to continue supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime," the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting, the first between Lavrov and Rubio since September 2025, lasted about 37 minutes and also covered the state of bilateral diplomatic ties between Moscow and Washington, Russian state media reported.

Ukraine settlement discussed

The two sides focused mainly on the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year since Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in February 2022.

"Lavrov brought information about the real state of affairs on the line of contact and emphasized the inadmissibility of pumping the Kyiv regime with weapons," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

At the same time, Lavrov confirmed Moscow's readiness for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict and its commitment to U.S. proposals made at the Anchorage summit, according to the ministry.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (centre R) attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (centre L) on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 23, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (centre R) attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (centre L) on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 23, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Russian state news agency Sputnik said Lavrov reiterated Russia's commitment to the U.S.-floated proposals during the Alaska talks, while warning Rubio that continued Western arms flows to Kyiv risk further escalation.

Lavrov also condemned what he called a "destabilizing policy" by European countries, which he said were still seeking to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov repeated that Moscow was ready for a "political-diplomatic resolution" of the conflict.

Persian Gulf tensions also raised

Lavrov and Rubio also discussed ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf amid the U.S.-Iran war.

Rubio appeared before the media ahead of the talks alongside U.S. Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor, State Department Counselor Dan Holler and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker.

Lavrov was accompanied by Russian Ambassador to ASEAN Evgeny Zagaynov, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and Russian Foreign Ministry Foreign Policy Planning Department Director Alexey Drobinin.

The meeting came as Washington's focus has shifted from mediation efforts in Ukraine to the war in the Middle East.

July 23, 2026 10:36 AM GMT+03:00
More From Türkiye Today