Lavrov Sidelined in Moscow?
Sergey Lavrov’s absence from the recent Security Council meeting, along with his removal as head of Russia’s delegations to the G20 and ASEAN summits, signals a notable shift in the Kremlin’s balance of power. Once regarded as a central architect of Russian foreign policy, Lavrov now seems overshadowed as President Vladimir Putin strengthens his personal control over diplomatic strategy.
For the first time in decades, Lavrov missed a Security Council session chaired by Putin — an absence officially described as
“coordinated.”However, the reassignment of his duties to Maxim Oreshkin and Alexey Overchuk, both presidential technocrats, points to more than a standard rotation. The Kremlin appears to be tightening oversight of global representation, curbing the foreign ministry’s role in shaping Russia’s narrative abroad.
Lavrov’s decline also coincides with the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest. Reports suggest that a tense exchange with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with a Russian memorandum on Ukraine viewed in Washington as
“maximalist,”caused frustration within the Kremlin. Some insiders have accused Lavrov of mishandling the situation or even undermining Putin’s diplomatic efforts.
In Moscow’s rigid power structure, missteps are rarely tolerated. Lavrov, once considered untouchable, may now be experiencing the same isolation that marked the fall of former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Author’s Summary
The apparent sidelining of Sergey Lavrov highlights the Kremlin’s power consolidation, where diplomatic control increasingly shifts toward the presidential administration.