OREANDA-NEWS U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that he will hold a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on July 23. He told reporters after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of ASEAN events in the Philippines, RIA Novosti reports.

"We'll talk more tomorrow," Rubio said, answering questions from the press. He noted that he would discuss with the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry whether there is now an opportunity for the United States to play a constructive role in resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

The Secretary of State also said that the United States and Russia, as the largest nuclear powers, should maintain dialogue despite differences. "It would be reckless and irresponsible for us not to communicate. We must maintain relations with the Russian government, even if we have areas where we disagree," he stressed.

Earlier, Lavrov said that he intended to ask Rubio about the statement by US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of an early settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.