Kremlin Denies Rift Between Putin and Lavrov
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed speculation that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had fallen out of favor with President Vladimir Putin after the canceled Trump-Putin summit.
"I will give you a brief answer: there is nothing true in these reports," Peskov told Russian media during a briefing. "Lavrov continues to serve as the foreign minister, of course."
The comments follow reports suggesting Lavrov’s influence had weakened after his October 21 conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which allegedly led to the cancellation of a planned Budapest summit between the two presidents.
Despite remaining a permanent member of Russia's Security Council, Lavrov was notably absent from a meeting chaired by Putin on November 5. His absence sparked questions about his current role in the Kremlin hierarchy.
In addition, Lavrov lost his position as head of Russia’s delegation to the G20 summit. The delegation will now be led by Maxim Oreshkin, deputy head of the presidential administration.
According to sources cited by Reuters, negotiations for the Budapest meeting failed because of the Kremlin’s strict demands, including its refusal to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine. Following the summit’s collapse, the United States introduced the first set of sanctions on Russia since President Trump’s return to office, targeting major energy companies Rosneft and Lukoil.
Author’s Summary
The Kremlin firmly rejected claims of Lavrov losing favor, attributing the canceled Budapest summit to failed negotiations, not internal discord.