During his attendance at the ASEAN conferences and meetings in the Philippines, Secretary Rubio held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Manila. Secretary Rubio characterized previous peace efforts as "unsuccessful or at least unfruitful" but stated that President Trump was prepared to reengage "if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible." "That's been the challenge -- an end that both sides can accept," said Secretary Rubio. "We've tried and we'll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we're prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself." | 
