US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the Trump administration remains committed to helping end the war in Ukraine, but acknowledged there is no quick path to a peace agreement, saying sustained diplomacy and fresh ideas will be needed.

Speaking after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Rubio said both Moscow and Kyiv should have every incentive to end what he described as a "very bloody war".

He acknowledged that previous US-mediated efforts had been "unsuccessful or at least unfruitful", but said President Donald Trump remained willing to pursue negotiations if circumstances changed.

"That's been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept. We've tried and we'll continue to try to find a middle ground, and we're prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself," Rubio told reporters.

Lavrov, meanwhile, reiterated Russia's willingness to pursue a political and diplomatic settlement, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said Lavrov told Rubio that further military assistance to Ukraine was "unacceptable" and accused European countries of seeking Russia's "strategic defeat". He also reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to agreements reached during last year's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska.

Rubio, however, said a negotiated settlement would require "new suggestions and new ideas" acceptable to both sides. He added that Washington's military support for Ukraine remains unchanged, with NATO allies continuing to purchase weapons for transfer to Kyiv.

US says Asia remains a priority

Rubio also stressed that Washington remains fully engaged in the Indo-Pacific despite dealing simultaneously with conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran.

"There's always going to be a concern that America is so focused on one place that it can't focus on another," he said. "But we remain engaged in Asia every single day."

The three-day ASEAN meeting has focused heavily on the conflicts in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and rising tensions in the South China Sea.

Iran tensions remain high

Addressing the Iran conflict, Rubio said renewed hostilities had intensified after the collapse of an interim ceasefire earlier this year.

"The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses," he said, adding that Tehran was seeking talks but had yet to demonstrate a willingness to reach and honour an agreement.

He also reiterated President Trump's warning that the US would retaliate against Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

China disputes and South China Sea

Rubio's visit also included lengthy talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which they discussed a fresh confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

Rubio described the latest incident as "escalatory" and warned that any conflict between the US and China would have profound global consequences.

"Those need to be managed very carefully, because a conflict — whether economic or otherwise — between the US and China would have a dramatic global impact," he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also criticised China's recent test launch of a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine, calling the lack of prior notification to countries in the region "provocative and destabilising".

China defended the launch as part of routine military exercises and said appropriate notice had been given.

Separately, Beijing and Manila traded accusations after a fresh confrontation in the South China Sea on Thursday.

China's coast guard said it had lawfully driven away two Philippine vessels from waters it claims, while the Philippine coast guard accused Chinese ships of harassing civilian vessels delivering fuel to Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal.

The South China Sea remains a major source of regional tension, with overlapping territorial claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

ASEAN is seeking to conclude negotiations with China this year on a long-delayed code of conduct aimed at preventing conflict in the strategically important waterway.