Russia has cautioned the United States against supplying additional weapons to Ukraine, describing further military assistance to Kyiv as “unacceptable” amid ongoing diplomatic engagements between both countries.
The warning was issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday following a meeting between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian ministers’ summit in Manila, Philippines.
According to a statement released by the ministry, Lavrov used the meeting to reiterate Moscow’s strong opposition to continued American military support for Ukraine.
The ministry stated that Lavrov “stressed that it was unacceptable to continue supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime” during discussions with Rubio.
The Russian foreign minister also criticised the role of European governments in the conflict, accusing them of pursuing policies aimed at weakening Russia.
According to the ministry, Lavrov condemned what he described as “a destabilising policy by European countries, which are still seeking to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia.”
Despite the sharp criticism, Moscow maintained that it remains willing to pursue a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
The foreign ministry said Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to achieve “a political-diplomatic resolution to the conflict,” signalling that diplomatic channels remain open despite continued hostilities.
The meeting marked the first official face-to-face talks between Lavrov and Rubio since September 2025.
The encounter comes as the United States has increasingly shifted its diplomatic attention away from efforts to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict, focusing instead on the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Washington has recently been heavily engaged in addressing renewed tensions involving Iran and its regional allies, leading analysts to suggest that the Ukraine conflict has become a less immediate foreign policy priority for the Trump administration.
Although no breakthrough was announced following the Manila meeting, the discussions highlighted ongoing communication between Moscow and Washington amid persistent disagreements over military support for Ukraine and the future direction of the conflict.
