US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are set to meet face-to-face in Manila on Thursday, with Russia’s war against Ukraine expected to be a central issue. Rubio confirmed the meeting Wednesday when questioned by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent Alex Raufoglu in Manila. Raufoglu asked whether the secretary would press Lavrov over Ukraine or whether the encounter was primarily intended to keep diplomatic channels with Moscow open.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Rubio pushed back on the word “press,” but made clear that Ukraine would be raised. “The war in Ukraine I think has in many ways impeded the ability of Russia and the US to find areas of agreement,” Rubio told Raufoglu, adding that Washington wants to see the conflict brought to an end. According to Rubio, the US remains willing to play a constructive role in reaching a settlement if an opportunity emerges – arguing that Washington may be uniquely positioned to mediate between the sides. Perhaps more significantly, Rubio suggested the diplomatic environment may have shifted. He acknowledged that efforts to facilitate an end to the war had “fallen off” over the past several months but suggested that new circumstances could now make renewed discussions possible – something he plans to explore directly with Lavrov Thursday. Rubio also disclosed that he briefly saw Lavrov Wednesday evening when the Russian foreign minister arrived at the summit’s opening dinner, although they did not discuss Ukraine.