Amidst Peace Talks Turmoil: Kremlin Denies Lavrovs Alleged Rift with Putin

The Kremlin has had to refute claims that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has «fallen out of favor» with President Vladimir Putin, amidst speculation that Lavrov’s diplomatic efforts were responsible for the cancellation of intended peace negotiations between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated to reporters on Friday, «These reports are completely false.»

Peskov confirmed that Lavrov continues to function in his role as foreign minister when asked if he still holds the position.

The notion that Putin was unhappy with Lavrov’s performance surfaced after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly canceled his planned summit with the Russian leader in Budapest last month.

According to the Financial Times, the meeting was postponed after what it described as a “tense conversation” between Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, remarking that officials were taken aback by Lavrov’s rigid stance.

An insider mentioned to the Financial Times, “Lavrov seems fatigued and appears to believe he has more important matters to attend to than to interact with the United States, regardless of what President Putin might desire.”

Following the cancellation of the summit, Lavrov was notably the only permanent member of the Security Council not present during a Tuesday meeting where Putin tasked officials with preparing proposals for resuming nuclear tests.

The business daily Kommersant reported, citing unnamed sources, that Lavrov’s absence from the Security Council meeting was «coordinated.»

Lavrov will also not be heading Russia’s delegation at the forthcoming G20 summit; this responsibility will instead shift to Maxim Oreshkin, the deputy chief of the presidential administration.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk led the Russian delegation at last month’s ASEAN summit, a position that Lavrov had held for several years.

Nezygar, a Telegram channel with a following of 400,000, reported that unnamed sources indicated Putin had a “serious discussion” with Lavrov following his conversation with Rubio.

“Lavrov was inadequately prepared for the discussion with Rubio and conducted himself in a highly tense manner, refusing to engage with the Secretary of State. It’s possible that Lavrov adhered too stringently to Kremlin directives,” stated sources to Nezygar.

A source familiar with the Foreign Ministry shared with Nezygar that the Financial Times article was engineered and had a “deeply troubling” impact on Lavrov, prompting him to decrease his public engagements.

“This piece contains numerous inaccuracies and sweeping statements about the minister. Nevertheless, it is accurate that Lavrov seems fatigued and likely faces increasing opposition within the Kremlin,” the source asserted.

“Clearly, he has lost favor with Putin and now seems to be seen as a weak link,” claimed sources cited by Nezygar.

Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev dismissed rumors regarding Lavrov’s declining status within the Kremlin, stating, “This is a narrative that the media is eager to latch onto and amplify.”

“While such narratives can be considered, Lavrov has not made any statements that could have unsettled the Americans,” he added, highlighting Lavrov’s long tenure as foreign minister for 21 years and his smooth collaboration with Putin throughout that period.

Bondarev further commented that claims of Lavrov being rude to Rubio, displaying reluctance to negotiate, or causing the summit’s cancellation are “utter nonsense,” though he acknowledged that Putin might have cast Lavrov as a scapegoat for the summit’s cancellation to avoid accountability for the unsuccessful discussions with the U.S.

At 75, Lavrov 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 faced personal sanctions from the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia, and other nations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.