MANILA, Philippines (AP) 鈥� U.S. Secretary of State said Thursday that the Trump administration is poised to help end the but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.
Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how U.S.-mediated talks have stalled. He called them 鈥渦nsuccessful or at least unfruitful鈥� in the past but insisted that President was committed to the work 鈥渋f conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been the challenge 鈥� an end that both sides can accept,” Rubio told reporters. “We鈥檝e tried and we鈥檒l continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we鈥檙e prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.鈥�
Rubio met Lavrov and several other leaders, including China’s foreign minister, on the sidelines of an annual gathering by foreign ministers of the in Manila.
America’s top diplomat said the U.S. is focused on Asia even as it steps up fighting with Iran, seeks a pathway to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and to make changes.
ASEAN talks focused on international conflicts
Three days of closed-door talks that started Tuesday have centered on the escalating and tensions in the , where a new clash flared Thursday.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be a concern that America is so focused on one place that it can鈥檛 focus on another,鈥� Rubio said. But he noted that the U.S. remains 鈥渆ngaged in Asia every single day,鈥� citing strong partnerships and economic ties across the region.
After meeting with Rubio, Lavrov largely ignored questions from reporters. The Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow said he emphasized to Rubio 鈥渢he unacceptability of further arming鈥� Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing Russia鈥檚 鈥渟trategic defeat.鈥�
Lavrov reiterated Russia鈥檚 readiness for 鈥渁 political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict鈥� and commitment to agreements reached at between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska last year, the Russian ministry said.
But Rubio said 鈥渨e鈥檒l have to find new suggestions and new ideas鈥� that are acceptable to both sides. There has been no change to Washington鈥檚 military support for Ukraine, with weapons being purchased by NATO allies and transferred to the war-ravaged country, he said.
Separately on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that his priority is finding a way to get back to negotiations.
U.S. efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war have been overshadowed by the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year. Renewed have been intensifying after an interim ceasefire deal collapsed.
鈥淭he price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,鈥� Rubio said. He insisted Tehran is 鈥渂egging鈥� for talks but Trump does not see the use in responding because 鈥淚ran is clearly not ready to make a deal, at least not one they鈥檙e willing to live by.鈥�
Trump has warned Iran that the U.S. will destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying the country鈥檚 defense doctrine was an 鈥渆ye for an eye.鈥�
鈥淭he president鈥檚 policy is a head for an eye,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淭hey will pay a very heavy price for the things they鈥檙e doing.鈥�
China defends maritime military actions
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong renewed her country’s alarm over the Chinese navy鈥檚 of a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the region, saying the lack of notification to the Philippines and Pacific nations where the missile flew over and landed was destabilizing.
鈥淚t comes in the context of a rapid military build-up of China鈥檚 nuclear arsenal without the transparency or reassurance the region expects,鈥� Wong told a university forum in Manila on Thursday. 鈥淭his is why Australia has described the test as provocative and destabilizing.鈥�
China has defended its actions, saying was part of annual exercises and that it gave countries in the area appropriate notice in advance.
Rubio met Wednesday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and said they discussed this week between Chinese and Filipino forces in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. Rubio called the incident 鈥渆scalatory.鈥�
鈥淭hose need to be managed very carefully, because obviously, a conflict 鈥� be it economic or otherwise 鈥� between the U.S. and China would have a dramatic global impact,鈥� Rubio said.
He also said they talked a lot about Chinese leader Xi Jinping鈥檚 planned trip in September, noting he believes Xi will have a 鈥渧ery positive visit when he comes to Washington.鈥�
In Beijing, the Chinese coast guard said it took necessary measures, including monitoring and blocking, to drive away two Philippine ships that disregarded repeated warnings from the Chinese side in a fresh confrontation Thursday. China said its operations were professional and lawful and urged the Philippines to stop its provocative actions infringing on Chinese territory.
The Philippine coast guard, however, said the two fishing vessels were harassed while bringing fuel aid to Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough shoal. It said a Chinese coast guard ship tried to spray one vessel with a powerful water cannon but missed, calling these 鈥渋llegal, coercive and aggressive actions.鈥�
The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized in the South China Sea to the disadvantage of smaller claimant countries like the Philippines, Washington鈥檚 oldest treaty ally in Asia. Taiwan and ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have also been involved in the often-tense territorial standoffs.
ASEAN aims to conclude yearslong negotiations with China on a proposed non-aggression pact by this year, according to a draft of a joint communiqu茅 seen by The Associated Press. The code of conduct aims to prevent a major conflict in the disputed waters, a key global trade route, that could draw in the United States.
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Associated Press journalists Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Haruka Nuga in Bangkok and Fu Ting in Washington contributed to this report.
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