Russia says Lavrov and Rubio held ‘constructive’ pre-summit call

Russia said its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, tasked with preparing a summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, held a “constructive” conversation on Monday.

Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump agreed in a phone call last Thursday (October 16, 2025) to meet soon in Budapest, Hungary for their second summit this year, and the two sides said Mr. Lavrov and Mr. Rubio would speak to prepare the meeting.

“A constructive discussion took place regarding possible concrete steps to implement the understandings reached during the October 16 telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.

It gave no further detail on the conversation.

Russia says it wants the summit to discuss a possible peace settlement in Ukraine and ways to improve bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington.