Kremlin Responds to Claims of Putin-Lavrov Dispute Over Trump
The Kremlin has dismissed media speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a disagreement with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following the cancellation of a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hungary.
The proposed Trump-Putin summit was reportedly canceled after a preparatory phone call between Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated little chance of progress toward peace in Ukraine, and no ceasefire as requested by the White House.
President Trump, who aims to mediate peace in Ukraine, previously met with Putin in August in Alaska. However, Russia has intensified its military actions, complicating Trump’s diplomatic efforts. He continues to seek an end to the conflict through a combination of sanctions, secondary tariffs, and direct engagement with Moscow. The Budapest meeting was viewed as a potentially major step in that strategy.
“There is nothing true in these reports,” Dmitry Peskov said, according to the state news agency TASS. “Of course, Lavrov continues to serve as foreign minister,” he added.
Lavrov was absent from an in-person meeting of the Security Council’s permanent members earlier this week, during which Putin ordered preparations for potential nuclear testing if the U.S. followed similar actions. An unnamed source told Kommersant that Lavrov had agreed to miss the meeting despite his status as a permanent member.
Author’s Summary
The Kremlin denied reports of a Putin-Lavrov rift, reaffirming Lavrov’s position after the Trump-Putin meeting was canceled amid rising Ukraine tensions.