Rubio discusses 'next steps' in phone call with Russia's Lavrov

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on March 15 as Washington attempts to persuade Moscow to accept a 30-day ceasefire deal.

According to a statement by the U.S. State Department, Rubio and Lavrov discussed steps to restore contacts between the U.S. and Russia.

"Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov discussed next steps to follow up on recent meetings in Saudi Arabia and agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia," State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Rubio also informed Lavrov of the United States' operation on Houthi militants in Yemen. U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier on March 15 on Truth Social that the U.S. had launched "decisive and powerful Military (sic) action" against the group.

No additional details were provided on the call by the U.S. State Department. A similar readout by the Russian Foreign Ministry provided no additional details.

Following talks with U.S. officials on March 11, Kyiv agreed to a temporary ceasefire, as long as Russia also abides by its terms. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 13 that Russia is ready to agree to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine but demands guarantees that Kyiv will not mobilize or train troops, nor receive military aid during it.

Putin's hesitation to implement a ceasefire comes as the United States resumed security assistance and intelligence sharing to Ukraine following breakthrough high-level talks in Saudi Arabia.

As negotiations continue, Trump claimed during a speech at the Justice Department on March 14 that the White House has received "some pretty good news" regarding its attempts to secure a 30-day ceasefire agreement — without specifying what the news was.

Earlier on March 14, Trump claimed he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to "spare" Ukrainian troops he said were surrounded by Russian forces in Kursk Oblast — a claim he repeated during his speech. Kyiv has denied reports that its troops are encircled in Kursk.

Rubio said on March 14 said that the administration was "cautiously optimistic" about progress towards a ceasefire, but added that the situation remains "complex."