Russia denies Lavrov-Rubio meeting was postponed

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said reports that a planned meeting between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been postponed were inaccurate, as no agreement on time or venue had been reached.

“You cannot postpone something that was never agreed. We had no preliminary arrangement on timing or place,” Ryabkov said, commenting on a CNN report.

He added that while the idea of such a meeting exists, its preparation requires careful work. Lavrov and Rubio held a phone call on Monday to discuss the matter.

CNN earlier cited a White House official as saying the talks were delayed due to differing views on ending the war in Ukraine.