MOSCOW / ALMATY - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday reaffirmed their shared interest in seeking peaceful solutions to the Ukraine crisis, said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The two top diplomats met in New York on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, said the ministry.

Lavrov reiterated Russia's readiness to adhere to the course outlined by the two countries' leaders in Alaska, including coordination with Washington on addressing the root causes of the conflict. He voiced opposition to what he described as proposals from Kyiv and some European capitals that could prolong the crisis.

The meeting also addressed broader bilateral issues, with both sides stressing the importance of restoring political and public contacts, leveraging the momentum set by the presidents of Russia and the United States to advance normalization of relations. They also emphasized the need to resume regular operations of diplomatic missions.

The two sides agreed to continue constructive dialogue between their foreign policy agencies, said the ministry.

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On Aug 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met in Alaska. They gave a positive assessment of the meeting, but no agreement was reached on issues such as a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.  

'Moscow seeks to maintain talks on Ukraine'

Moscow would rather maintain contacts on Ukraine alongside talks on its relations with Washington, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"It would be much more consistent with our bilateral interests and the interests of the US to pursue these tracks in parallel," Peskov said in an interview with RBC radio.

He also noted that discussions on many key issues on Ukraine, including security guarantees and the future security architecture, would require the participation of the United States.

US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Marking a sudden shift in the White House's position, Trump later said he believes Kyiv, with support from Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), "is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form."

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Zelensky said he received "a very positive signal" that the United States will continue supporting Ukraine until the end of the conflict with Russia, the Ukrinform news agency reported Wednesday.

Zelensky noted that the two leaders discussed measures to put pressure on Russia's energy network, as well as the country's financial and banking system. He also said that Ukraine is counting on further US sanctions against Russia.

Commenting on their meeting, Peskov said Trump was influenced by Zelensky's account of what is currently happening, adding that Moscow "could not agree with everything."

The spokesman said Trump demonstrates political will to pursue a settlement on Ukraine, and noted that Russia will convey its position to the United States. He said, however, that a telephone call between Russian and US leaders is not currently planned.

"We will also have the opportunity to convey our position to the US side, and this will be done by our Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov, who will meet with his counterpart in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly," Peskov said.

Russia remains an integral part of Europe's security, Peskov further said, and "any talk of security without Russia or at Russia's expense is, at the very least, unfounded." He also said that this would be "dangerous and unacceptable" for Moscow.

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He also said Kyiv hasn't responded to Russia's initiative proposed in July on the creation of three working groups with Ukraine.  

'Kazakhstan willing to host Russia-Ukraine talks'

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Wednesday that if the leaders of Russia and Ukraine wish to meet in Kazakhstan, the country will provide all necessary services to ensure smooth negotiations.

In an interview with Kazakhstan's Tengrinews, Tokayev said that Kazakhstan supports the launch of high-level direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. While Kazakhstan is not a mediator in the conflict, it is ready, if needed, to serve as a venue for negotiations and meetings of various levels between the two countries and to provide "friendly services" for this purpose.

Local media reported that Tokayev held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the ongoing 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Ukrainian media quoted Zelensky as saying that he was willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at any location except Moscow, including Kazakhstan.  

Ukrainian drone attack on Russia

An attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russia's port city of Novorossiysk has left two people dead and six injured, Russia's regional crisis response center said on Wednesday.

According to updated information, two people have been killed, while the number of the injured has risen to six from two, including one person with minor injuries and three in serious condition, the crisis response center said in a statement.