Bangladesh, March 16 -- Amid a surprising thaw in diplomatic relations following years of heightened tensions over the Ukraine conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in a pivotal phone conversation on March 15. The discussion marks a significant step in ongoing efforts to restore bilateral relations and advance negotiations for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

According to a statement from the US State Department, Rubio and Lavrov focused on reestablishing direct communication channels between Washington and Moscow, a crucial step in de-escalating longstanding tensions. The dialogue follows high-level meetings in Saudi Arabia on February 18, where both nations agreed to assign teams to work ...