A new Cold War chill in U.S.–Russia relations.
A new diplomatic thriller between the United States and Russia is shaking the global chessboard amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
A sudden, chilling silence has descended over Washington and Moscow’s diplomatic circles following a major development at the foreign ministry level—one that turns all previous expectations on their head.
Specifically, the indefinite postponement of the long-anticipated meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marko Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov has sounded alarm bells: the fragile architecture of global stability is once again beginning to creak.
The news, confirmed by a White House source, struck like a bolt of lightning, reviving the shadow of the Cold War and signaling a new era of global uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence.
The reason?
“Divergent expectations” between the two sides over how, and whether, the war in Ukraine can be brought to an end.
At least, that is what both sides hinted at tersely in their brief statements.
An elevator of “emotions”
The planned meeting between the two foreign ministers has been postponed indefinitely, triggering a new wave, or perhaps a tidal surge, in the diplomatic process.
The meeting, initially expected to take place in late October, was viewed as a critical preparatory step for the upcoming Trump–Putin summit in Budapest — an event that, if realized, would mark Putin’s first visit to an EU capital since the start of the war in Ukraine.
However, the cancellation of the Rubio–Lavrov talks has already cast doubt on whether the summit itself will proceed.
What really happened
According to information from Washington, the U.S. side believes Moscow has not shifted from its “maximalist” stance, refusing to consider meaningful concessions or a roadmap toward de-escalation.
A ray of light that fades
The October 16 phone call between Putin and Trump initially appeared to offer a glimmer of light amid the darkness of war.
Trump, eager to portray himself as a “peace negotiator,” had announced the idea of a summit in Budapest; a proposal Putin seemed to accept with polite grace.
But behind the smiles and formal statements, the reality remains explosive.
Washington accuses Moscow of seeking to legitimize its territorial gains in Ukraine, while the Kremlin sees the U.S. as the main obstacle to peace, insisting on setting the terms of the game.
The gulf between them is not merely political; it is ideological, existential, almost civilizational.
The postponement of the Rubio–Lavrov meeting is therefore not just a routine diplomatic setback.
It is a symptom of a deeper rupture.
For Trump, the failure to move the talks forward undermines his image as a would-be “peace broker.”
For Putin, the delay represents valuable political time gained; a pause for regrouping without the risk of concessions.
Meanwhile, Europe watches with bated breath.
What was initially seen as a sign of normalization — the prospect of a summit in Budapest — now looks like a lost opportunity.
The stage returns to familiar patterns: postponements, mistrust, and deadlock.
What BN reported:
Russia on the Rubio–Lavrov meeting: “You can’t postpone something that was never scheduled”
Russia will continue to face disinformation efforts from Western media, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters, commenting on media reports about the alleged postponement of the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I want to emphasize that you cannot postpone something that was never agreed upon.
And in the future, I am certain we will face situations where various information outlets, especially in the West, will engage in unjustified disinformation efforts — creating stories, fueling speculation, raising questions — all to be circulated and analyzed in ways that serve Western interests,”
Ryabkov said, referring indirectly to CNN, which had cited White House sources claiming that the Lavrov–Rubio meeting, reportedly planned in recent days, had been postponed indefinitely.
Destructive forces
According to Ryabkov, EU and NATO countries act as destructive forces on the international stage and work toward the failure of every effort.
“The countries that belong to the EU and NATO are working toward the failure of every initiative.
There is no scenario that interests them except one — to harm Russia, to weaken our positions, and to complicate the resolution of the challenges we face.
This is their sole objective. Today, they are the most destructive force on the international scene.
It is therefore no surprise that they engage in various subversive political activities.
We are prepared for this, we have learned how to deal with it,” Ryabkov stated.
Issues under review
Russia and the United States are reviewing the topics discussed during the recent phone conversation between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Lavrov and Rubio, Ryabkov noted.
“The essence of the situation is that communication between the presidents — in fact, the phone calls between President Putin and President Trump last week — included the issue of next steps.
One of those steps, of course, is the contact between Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Rubio.
That contact took place yesterday, and we are now working through the matters they discussed,” the senior diplomat explained.
When asked whether the conversation between Lavrov and Rubio concerned the possible delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine from the United States, Ryabkov replied:
“I am not prepared to disclose the content of such exchanges. The nature of this confidential work is that certain topics simply cannot be made public,” he said.
www.bankingnews.gr
A sudden, chilling silence has descended over Washington and Moscow’s diplomatic circles following a major development at the foreign ministry level—one that turns all previous expectations on their head.
Specifically, the indefinite postponement of the long-anticipated meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marko Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov has sounded alarm bells: the fragile architecture of global stability is once again beginning to creak.
The news, confirmed by a White House source, struck like a bolt of lightning, reviving the shadow of the Cold War and signaling a new era of global uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence.
The reason?
“Divergent expectations” between the two sides over how, and whether, the war in Ukraine can be brought to an end.
At least, that is what both sides hinted at tersely in their brief statements.
An elevator of “emotions”
The planned meeting between the two foreign ministers has been postponed indefinitely, triggering a new wave, or perhaps a tidal surge, in the diplomatic process.
The meeting, initially expected to take place in late October, was viewed as a critical preparatory step for the upcoming Trump–Putin summit in Budapest — an event that, if realized, would mark Putin’s first visit to an EU capital since the start of the war in Ukraine.
However, the cancellation of the Rubio–Lavrov talks has already cast doubt on whether the summit itself will proceed.
What really happened
According to information from Washington, the U.S. side believes Moscow has not shifted from its “maximalist” stance, refusing to consider meaningful concessions or a roadmap toward de-escalation.
A ray of light that fades
The October 16 phone call between Putin and Trump initially appeared to offer a glimmer of light amid the darkness of war.
Trump, eager to portray himself as a “peace negotiator,” had announced the idea of a summit in Budapest; a proposal Putin seemed to accept with polite grace.
But behind the smiles and formal statements, the reality remains explosive.
Washington accuses Moscow of seeking to legitimize its territorial gains in Ukraine, while the Kremlin sees the U.S. as the main obstacle to peace, insisting on setting the terms of the game.
The gulf between them is not merely political; it is ideological, existential, almost civilizational.
The postponement of the Rubio–Lavrov meeting is therefore not just a routine diplomatic setback.
It is a symptom of a deeper rupture.
For Trump, the failure to move the talks forward undermines his image as a would-be “peace broker.”
For Putin, the delay represents valuable political time gained; a pause for regrouping without the risk of concessions.
Meanwhile, Europe watches with bated breath.
What was initially seen as a sign of normalization — the prospect of a summit in Budapest — now looks like a lost opportunity.
The stage returns to familiar patterns: postponements, mistrust, and deadlock.
What BN reported:
Russia on the Rubio–Lavrov meeting: “You can’t postpone something that was never scheduled”
Russia will continue to face disinformation efforts from Western media, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters, commenting on media reports about the alleged postponement of the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I want to emphasize that you cannot postpone something that was never agreed upon.
And in the future, I am certain we will face situations where various information outlets, especially in the West, will engage in unjustified disinformation efforts — creating stories, fueling speculation, raising questions — all to be circulated and analyzed in ways that serve Western interests,”
Ryabkov said, referring indirectly to CNN, which had cited White House sources claiming that the Lavrov–Rubio meeting, reportedly planned in recent days, had been postponed indefinitely.
Destructive forces
According to Ryabkov, EU and NATO countries act as destructive forces on the international stage and work toward the failure of every effort.
“The countries that belong to the EU and NATO are working toward the failure of every initiative.
There is no scenario that interests them except one — to harm Russia, to weaken our positions, and to complicate the resolution of the challenges we face.
This is their sole objective. Today, they are the most destructive force on the international scene.
It is therefore no surprise that they engage in various subversive political activities.
We are prepared for this, we have learned how to deal with it,” Ryabkov stated.
Issues under review
Russia and the United States are reviewing the topics discussed during the recent phone conversation between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Lavrov and Rubio, Ryabkov noted.
“The essence of the situation is that communication between the presidents — in fact, the phone calls between President Putin and President Trump last week — included the issue of next steps.
One of those steps, of course, is the contact between Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Rubio.
That contact took place yesterday, and we are now working through the matters they discussed,” the senior diplomat explained.
When asked whether the conversation between Lavrov and Rubio concerned the possible delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine from the United States, Ryabkov replied:
“I am not prepared to disclose the content of such exchanges. The nature of this confidential work is that certain topics simply cannot be made public,” he said.
www.bankingnews.gr
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