US secretary of state Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday in Malaysia, on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, as tensions between Washington and Moscow deepen over the conflict in Ukraine. Marco Rubio has arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, marking his first visit to the region to attend Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post-Ministerial Conference during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which brings together the ten Asean member states along with key diplomatic partners, including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and the United States.This will mark the second face-to-face meeting between Rubio and Lavrov, the first being in Saudi Arabia in February this year. Rubio and Lavrov’s meeting comes shortly after US resumed shipments of defensive weapons to Ukraine. The deliveries had been on hold pending a review by the Pentagon of domestic munitions stockpiles, a pause that was welcomed by Moscow. However, the renewed supply of arms comes amid intensifying Russian aerial assaults on Ukrainian targets, further straining relations between the two powers. President Donald Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, voiced strong criticism of President Putin. “Putin is not, he’s not treating human beings right,” Trump said. “It’s killing too many people. So we’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I’ve approved that.”Rubio is expected to meet with other foreign ministers attending the forum, many of whom represent countries that could soon be impacted by new US trade tariffs. However State Department officials indicated that tariffs and trade will not be Rubio’s primary focus during the meetings. Instead, the Trump administration hopes the talks will center on maritime safety and security in the South China Sea.
