The Day of the Lavrov-Rubio Manila Talks

Editors across the spectrum led with the brief Lavrov-Rubio meeting in Manila, the first in nearly a year, lasting only 35 minutes. State-aligned outlets emphasized Lavrov's description of battlefield realities and discussions on diplomatic missions, while independent sources noted Rubio's admission that previous proposals were unacceptable to Kyiv and new ideas were needed. The meeting dominated coverage from early morning through the afternoon. Concurrently, Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions, including Crimea and Ulyanovsk, caused casualties and fires at energy infrastructure, with state media framing them as terrorism. The EU's 21st sanctions package against Russia, targeting over 170 entities and individuals, was reported in the evening. Other stories included a military plane crash in Moscow region, the new Ukrainian commander's controversial statements, and Brent crude surpassing $100 per barrel.