Kremlin Responds to Reports of Putin-Lavrov Rift Over Trump Meeting
The Kremlin dismissed reports of a dispute between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following the cancellation of a proposed meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hungary.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the media claims were baseless, after speculation arose due to Lavrov’s absence from a recent Security Council session and the abrupt end of summit plans.
“There is nothing true in these reports,” Peskov said, as quoted by the state news agency TASS. “Of course, Lavrov continues to serve as foreign minister.”
The planned Trump-Putin summit was reportedly canceled after a call between Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated limited prospects for progress on peace in Ukraine. The White House had demanded tangible commitments, including a ceasefire, as a condition for the talks.
President Trump, working to end the war through economic pressure—sanctions and secondary tariffs—along with diplomatic outreach, had previously met Putin in August in Alaska. Yet Moscow’s renewed offensives in Ukraine have challenged his mediation efforts.
A source quoted by the Russian newspaper Kommersant claimed that Lavrov agreed not to attend the Security Council meeting, even though he is a permanent member, coinciding with Putin’s directive to prepare a report on potential nuclear test readiness if the U.S. proceeds with its own testing plans.
Author’s Summary
Despite reports of internal tension, the Kremlin insists that President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov remain aligned as diplomatic strains with Washington persist.
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