Is Lavrovs Position Shaky? Kremlin Responds to Speculation About His Relationship with Putin

The Kremlin has refuted claims that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has «lost favor» with President Vladimir Putin amid rumors suggesting Lavrov’s diplomatic efforts might have contributed to the scrapping of proposed peace negotiations between Moscow and Washington regarding Ukraine.

“These reports are completely unfounded,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to the press on Friday.

“Lavrov continues to fulfill his duties as foreign minister,” Peskov affirmed when asked if Lavrov still held his position.

Speculation about Putin’s discontent with Lavrov surfaced after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly canceled his planned summit with the Russian leader in Budapest the previous month.

The Financial Times alleged that the abandonment of the meeting followed what it characterized as “a strained conversation” between Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting that “officials were taken aback by Lavrov’s stubbornness.”

“A source familiar with the situation remarked to the Financial Times that ‘Lavrov seems fatigued and appears to believe he has more pressing matters than interacting with the United States, regardless of President Putin’s wishes.’”

Following the cancellation of the summit, Lavrov was notably absent from the Security Council’s meeting on Tuesday, where Putin tasked officials with drafting proposals for the resumption of nuclear tests.

According to the business newspaper Kommersant, which cited undisclosed sources, Lavrov’s absence from this meeting was prearranged.

Moreover, Lavrov will no longer be at the helm of Russia’s delegation for the forthcoming G20 summit, a role that will instead be assumed by Maxim Oreshkin, the deputy head of the presidential administration.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk led the Russian delegation to the ASEAN summit, a position Lavrov had held for several years.

Nezygar, a Telegram channel with 400,000 followers, cited anonymous sources claiming that Putin had a “serious discussion” with Lavrov following his call with Rubio.

“One source indicated that Lavrov wasn’t adequately prepared for the conversation with Rubio and handled it with significant tension, declining to engage in dialogue with the Secretary of State. It seems he may have taken Kremlin instructions too literally,” Nezygar’s sources suggested.

A source familiar with the Foreign Ministry informed Nezygar that the Financial Times article was orchestrated and was “very distressing” for Lavrov, who has since curtailed his public engagements.

“The piece is filled with inaccuracies and sweeping allegations against the minister. However, it is accurate to say that Lavrov is indeed fatigued and likely has garnered more adversaries within the Kremlin,” the source added.

“He has seemingly fallen out of Putin’s favor and appears to be a vulnerable link,” the sources for Nezygar claimed.

Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev dismissed the notion that Lavrov’s status with the Kremlin had declined, stating that “this is a narrative that the media enjoys exploiting and amplifying.”

“While this interpretation is valid, Lavrov didn’t say anything that would have alarmed the Americans,” he noted, emphasizing that Lavrov has been foreign minister for 21 years and has consistently collaborated with Putin.

“The allegations that Lavrov was disrespectful towards Rubio, exhibited reluctance to negotiate, or was responsible for the cancellation of the summit are utterly absurd,” Bondarev said in an interview.

He also pointed out that Putin might have deflected blame onto Lavrov regarding the cancellation, as a way of evading accountability for the unsuccessful negotiations with the United States.

Lavrov, who is 75, has held the position of Russia’s foreign minister since 2004 and is also a permanent member of the country’s Security Council.

He has been subjected to personal sanctions from the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia, and other nations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.