On May 17, at the initiative of the American side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Axar.az informs, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the foreign ministers exchanged views on the results of the recent Russian-Ukrainian negotiations held in Istanbul.

Marco Rubio welcomed the agreements on the exchange of prisoners of war and on each side preparing its vision of the conditions necessary for reaching a ceasefire. He emphasized Washington’s continued willingness to support efforts toward a settlement.

Sergey Lavrov noted the positive role of the United States in helping ensure that Kyiv ultimately accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to resume the Istanbul negotiations. He confirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue working together with its American counterparts in this context.

The two also touched on other international and regional issues during the conversation and exchanged views on the continuation of Russian-American contacts.