At a Glance

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet in New York on Wednesday.
• The meeting comes as diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war remain stalled.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed halting strikes on energy targets if Russia does the same.
• Zelensky met U.S. President Donald Trump in New York on Tuesday.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, as Washington seeks to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The meeting comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters he was prepared to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow agreed to reciprocal measures.

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ENERGY TRUCE PROPOSAL

Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to stop attacks on Russian energy sites, but said he did not yet know whether Moscow would accept the proposal.

The idea follows an earlier announcement by Trump that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to target energy infrastructure. That understanding quickly came under pressure after further attacks by both sides.

Zelensky has called for U.S. involvement in efforts to bring Moscow back to negotiations, while emphasizing that Ukraine's energy infrastructure, food exports and civilian population remain key security concerns.

RUBIO-LAVROV MEETING

The Rubio-Lavrov meeting will be the latest direct engagement between senior U.S. and Russian officials over the conflict.

The two diplomats have previously met during efforts to establish a diplomatic channel between Washington and Moscow. Their talks come as the Trump administration's efforts to secure an end to the war have yet to produce a lasting agreement.

Lavrov is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly later this week, while Zelensky is due to address the assembly on Wednesday.

ON THE GROUND

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange long-range strikes targeting military and energy-related infrastructure, as well as other sites.

Ukrainian officials reported Russian strikes that killed people in several areas on Tuesday, while Ukraine's military said it had struck Russian oil refineries. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.

FYI

The planned Rubio-Lavrov meeting comes as Washington is attempting to keep a diplomatic track open while fighting and long-range attacks continue. The proposed energy truce offers a narrower potential area for de-escalation, particularly as both countries' energy infrastructure has increasingly become part of the conflict.

Whether Moscow accepts reciprocal restrictions on energy strikes remains uncertain. Zelensky has said Ukraine would consider stopping such attacks if Russia does the same, while recent fighting has demonstrated how difficult it has been to sustain even limited understandings between the two sides.

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