Kremlin Responds to Claims of Putin–Lavrov Dispute Over Trump
A planned meeting between the Russian and American presidents in Hungary was canceled following a call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Reports claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a disagreement with Lavrov over the cancellation were firmly denied by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
"There is nothing true in these reports," Peskov said, according to the state news agency TASS. "Of course, Lavrov continues to serve as foreign minister."
The proposed Trump–Putin summit was halted after the preparatory call made it clear that little progress could be expected on the Ukraine peace process and that a ceasefire, requested by the White House, was not on the table. President Donald Trump, seeking to mediate peace, had previously met with Putin in August in Alaska. Nonetheless, Russia has continued and even intensified its strikes on Ukraine, deepening tensions.
President Trump is working to end the conflict through economic pressure—via sanctions and secondary tariffs—and diplomatic negotiations with Moscow. The now-canceled Budapest meeting was considered a key opportunity in that effort.
Lavrov was notably absent from a recent in-person meeting of the Security Council’s permanent members, during which Putin instructed officials to prepare a report on potential nuclear test readiness. A source told the Russian newspaper Kommersant that Lavrov had agreed in advance to skip the meeting, despite his status as a permanent member of the council.
Author’s Summary
The Kremlin denied rumors of a Putin–Lavrov rift, reaffirming Lavrov’s position and stressing that diplomatic efforts toward Ukraine remain central to Russia–U.S. relations.