Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the situation in Ukraine as well as in Iran and Syria at a meeting in the Malaysian capital on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"A substantive and frank exchange of views took place on the settlement of the situation around Ukraine, the situation around Iran and Syria, as well as a number of other international issues," the ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov and Rubio "confirmed their mutual desire to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, restore Russian-American economic and humanitarian cooperation, and facilitate unimpeded contacts between the societies of the two countries."

Constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington will continue, the Russian ministry said.

Rubio said he had a frank and important conversation with his Russian counterpart on the war in Ukraine.

The Secretary of State said he reinforced US President Donald Trump's disappointment that there has not been more flexibility on the Russian side.

"We need to see a roadmap moving forward about how this conflict can conclude," Rubio said after the 50-minute meeting on the sidelines of the Asean conference. (Reuters)