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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Thursday in Malaysia amid questions about how seriously the Kremlin is taking peace talks. The Kremlin has been escalating its air attacks on Ukraine in recent days, prompting President Donald Trump to publicly criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also come as the United States resumes defensive weapons deliveries to Ukraine, one week after a pause on certain shipments reportedly caught the White House by surprise. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suspended some shipments last week so that the Pentagon could review its stockpiles. The Pentagon has denied that Hegseth acted without consulting the president and says the effort was coordinated across the government.The Associated Press reports that Trump has privately expressed frustration with the move. Publicly, however, the president has repeatedly side-stepped questions about who approved the pause. Asked Wednesday if he was able to figure out who ordered the halt, Trump said, “I haven’t thought about it.”“I would know if a decision was made. I will know. I'll be the first to know,” Trump said when asked how such a big decision could have been made without his knowledge. “In fact, most likely, I'd give the order, but I haven't done that yet.” Trump also confirmed that he is considering a request from Ukraine for another Patriot air defense system. Meanwhile, there are signs that a long-stalled bipartisan bill that would ramp up sanctions against Russia could soon advance in Congress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday that he hopes to bring forward the measure before Congress goes on recess in August.“Whether that happens in the next couple of weeks is a bit of an open question, but I'm hopeful that it can,” Thune said.Thune said they are still working with the House and the White House on the measure. When asked about the bill Tuesday, Trump said he was looking at it “very strongly.”