U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia on Thursday.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and that the talks were productive, highlighting that they exchanged "new" and "different" approaches to ending the war in Ukraine.

Marco Rubio’s first trip to Asia as secretary of state was aimed at assuring U.S. partners. Instead, it was cut short and dominated by trade tensions.

The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday urged Southeast Asian countries to "act with purpose" and enhance trade among each other in the face of global uncertainty, as regional foreign ministers met amid renewed jitters over U.