Russia dismisses speculation that Lavrov has fallen out of favour with Putin
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been in his post for more than two decades.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Kremlin denies rumours of Sergei Lavrov falling out of favour with Putin due to the cancelled Trump summit in October. Dmitry Peskov stated: "there is nothing true in these reports.”
- Speculation arose from Lavrov's absence at the Kremlin meeting and Russia's leader choosing someone else to attend the G-20 summit in South Africa.
- Cancelled summit due to disagreements on Ukraine; Moscow wants Kyiv to yield territory, while Trump called for ceasefire with present positions.
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MOSCOW - The Kremlin on Nov 7 dismissed speculation that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had fallen out of favour with Vladimir Putin after efforts to organise a summit between the Russian president and Donald Trump were put on ice in October.
Mr Lavrov, 75, a veteran Soviet-era diplomat known for his robust negotiating style, was absent from a big Kremlin meeting this week that he would typically attend, and Russia’s leader chose someone else to attend a G-20 summit in South Africa later this month, a role that Mr Lavrov has filled in the past.
For two weeks in a row, the Foreign Ministry has also not disclosed Mr Lavrov’s travel plans and speaking engagements for the following week.
The developments have fuelled speculation that Mr Lavrov, who has served as foreign minister for more than two decades, may have fallen from Mr Putin’s good graces due to the collapse of plans for the summit in Budapest.
Asked on Nov 7 if Mr Lavrov was in trouble with Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea.
“I will give you a brief answer: there is nothing true in these reports,” Mr Peskov told reporters.
Asked to confirm that Mr Lavrov would continue to work in his current role, Mr Peskov added: “Absolutely. Lavrov is working as foreign minister, of course.”
Mr Lavrov spoke by phone to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Oct 20 to discuss the possible summit, days after it was announced by Mr Trump following a phone call with Mr Putin.
The next day, Mr Trump said that he did not want to hold a meeting
He later said he had cancelled the summit
Mr Trump has sought a rapprochement with Moscow and held a summit in Alaska
Reuters and other media reported that Washington called off the new summit after Mr Lavrov’s ministry sent a message indicating Moscow was not prepared to yield on hardline demands over Ukraine.
Britain’s Financial Times cited a source as suggesting that Mr Lavrov’s conversation with Mr Rubio had put Washington off.
“Lavrov is clearly tired and seems to think he has better things to do than engage with the US, whatever Putin may want,” the FT cited the source as saying.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested on Nov 7 that the FT article had been published to stoke speculation that was unhelpful to Moscow and part of what she called a hybrid war against Russia.
Mr Putin has made it clear that, aside from the Ukraine issue, he believes that a rapprochement between Moscow and Washington is in Russia’s national interest and important for global security, as the two countries possess vast nuclear arsenals. REUTERS
