Overview
- Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said claims that Sergei Lavrov has fallen out with Vladimir Putin “have nothing to do with reality” and affirmed he remains foreign minister.
- Reports note Lavrov missed a key Security Council session that officials described as a “mutual agreement,” followed by several days without public engagements.
- WELT reports he made multiple appearances after a phone call with Marco Rubio, but he has since been absent from his typically busy schedule.
- The Belarus-based outlet Nexta alleged Lavrov was blamed internally for the scrapped Budapest meeting between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump after his call with Rubio; this claim remains unverified.
- Kremlin-critical commentators, including Yuri Dolgoruki and political analyst Georgy Bovt, criticized Lavrov’s combative style and urged personnel changes, while bloggers speculate he appears increasingly isolated.