© EPA / MAXIM SHEMETOV Peskov clarified the situation in light of the gossip concerning Lavrov's dispute with Putin.
On this day, November 7, the Kremlin refuted claims suggesting that Sergei Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, had lost favor with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, following the postponement of efforts to orchestrate a meeting between the Russian leader and Donald Trump, the US President, the previous month.
Lavrov, a 75-year-old seasoned diplomat from the Soviet era, recognized for his firm approach to negotiations, was absent from a crucial Kremlin assembly he usually attends this week. Putin also designated another individual to participate in the G20 summit in South Africa later in November, a function Lavrov had previously undertaken, according to Reuters.
The Foreign Ministry’s omission to reveal Lavrov’s itinerary and addresses for the subsequent week over a two-week period further stoked assumptions that Lavrov, who has served as foreign minister for over two decades, might have encountered disfavor with Putin due to the breakdown of strategies for the Budapest summit.
Upon being questioned regarding any potential issues between Lavrov and Putin, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, rejected the notion.
“I’ll respond concisely: there is absolutely no truth to these accounts,” Peskov informed journalists.
Asked to confirm that Lavrov would remain in his post, Peskov replied: “Undoubtedly. Lavrov undeniably continues to occupy the role of Foreign Minister.”
The news organization stated that on October 20, Lavrov engaged in a phone conversation with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, to deliberate on a possible summit, a few days after Trump revealed it subsequent to a phone discussion with Putin.
The following day, Trump expressed that he did not wish to conduct a meeting that would be “a waste of time.” He later indicated that he called off the summit because “it simply didn’t feel right.”
Reuters and various other news sources indicated that Washington rescinded the planned summit after the Russian Foreign Ministry conveyed a message asserting that Moscow was not prepared to yield to stringent demands concerning Ukraine. The British publication Financial Times, referencing a source, stated that Lavrov’s dialogue with Rubio had created friction with Washington.
“Lavrov is obviously weary and seemingly considers he has more significant pursuits than engaging with the US, irrespective of Putin’s desires,” the FT cited a source as remarking.
Maria Zakharova, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, insinuated that the FT article was disseminated to amplify speculation that is detrimental to Moscow and is part of what she termed a hybrid war waged against Russia.
Lavrov had previously indicated that Putin, during a discourse with Trump in Alaska, purportedly verified his willingness to cease the war in Ukraine predicated on the American concept. According to the Russian Foreign Minister, Putin supposedly reiterated every component of the concept that Steve Witkoff, the US special representative, brought with him.
