Unexpected Meeting Between US Secretary of State Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

Surprising Encounter at ASEAN Summit
In an unexpected turn of events, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, as reported by a major news outlet on Thursday.
This encounter occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin for his lack of engagement in peace discussions concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Rubio's Playful Response
Neither Rubio nor Lavrov made any comments prior to their meeting. When asked about his message for Lavrov, Rubio simply responded with a wink, according to reports.
This meeting comes at a time of uncertainty following a decision by the Pentagon to pause arms shipments to Ukraine, a move that Trump publicly criticized.
Controversial Decision on Arms Shipments
Reports indicate that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth approved the halt without prior notification to the White House, which surprised Rubio. In response to the pause, Trump remarked, "Putin is not treating human beings right. He’s killing too many people," and confirmed that he had authorized the shipment of defensive weapons to Ukraine.
Trump also sharply criticized Putin, stating that the Russian leader has made numerous empty promises that have proven to be ineffective.
Escalation in Drone Attacks
In the wake of these statements, Russia initiated its most extensive drone attack on Ukraine to date, deploying over 700 drones, as reported by Ukraine's Air Force.