The rumors are so persistent that the Kremlin had to deny them again today. No, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has not fallen out of favor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, repeating exactly what he had already said publicly on Friday. "All this news is absolute lies that should not be paid attention to." It's okay. "And if there are such public events again, you will see the minister."
Last Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov was absent from a meeting of the Russian Security Council - the only permanent member of the body headed by President Vladimir Putin. This raised many questions, because it was at this meeting that Russia's response to possible US nuclear tests was announced, and because Putin's long-time trusted aide usually always attends these meetings.
It was officially announced that his absence had been agreed in advance. But Lavrov's absence sparked an avalanche of rumors on social media. Some suggested that he had been punished, while others suggested that he might soon be fired - after 21 years in office.
Lavrov took a tough stance on the US
The possible explanation: in early October, US President Donald Trump announced an upcoming meeting with Putin in Budapest – extremely prestigious for the Russian president and representing a continuation of the course of rapprochement with the US, without making any real compromises in the war against Ukraine.
Shortly before the planned summit, the foreign ministers of the two countries held a telephone conversation. It is alleged that during the conversation, Lavrov advocated an extremely firm Russian position not to make concessions for a quick cessation of hostilities. So Trump canceled the meeting in Budapest due to its predictable failure.
Putin can reproach the foreign minister for this cancellation. But it should be remembered that the uncompromising, aggressive tone - not only towards the Ukrainian government, but also towards the European countries that support it - is typical of Putin. As well as adherence to the military course.
"Everything Lavrov said was coordinated"
"Of course, Lavrov follows Putin's line," says Alexey Venediktov, former editor-in-chief of "Echo of Moscow", on the independent Russian-language YouTube channel "Zhivoy gvozd": "The Foreign Minister cannot afford anything of his own (...) Everything Lavrov said to Rubio was coordinated with Putin," Venediktov emphasizes.
Political scientist Mikhail Vinogradov also emphasizes on the YouTube channel "Zhivoy gvozd" that it is difficult to believe that Lavrov showed disobedience. "If we look at the history of the Foreign Ministry over the past 30-35 years, we will see that this institution has extremely rarely had an independent political position. This has hardly ever happened."
Other reasons for the absence?
Other possible reasons for Lavrov's absence have been repeatedly refuted in the past. For example, the suggestion that the 75-year-old politician may simply be tired of his post or that it is time for a generational change.
So far, the latest to leave Russian President Putin's circle of trusted figures is Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the presidential administration and a long-time close associate of Putin. He was due to vacate his office in mid-September. The official explanation is that Kozak left of his own free will. However, it is known that Dmitry Kozak was the last person left in Putin's inner circle to speak out against the war and in support of negotiations with Kiev. A position that is alien to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Lavrov returns with a quote
Sergey Lavrov eventually returned to the public sphere earlier this week with a quote – without changing his course.
"There are countries that until recently relied on Western manufacturers, but given world events and various conflicts in which different weapons systems are used, they are increasingly convinced of the superiority of our weapons", Lavrov exclaimed in a television program about the Russian arms industry. According to the Russian news agency TASS, he added the following: "We often recall that Russia has two allies – the ground forces and the naval forces – but, of course, the air force and space forces must be added to them."
With this, the foreign minister refers to a famous phrase of Alexander III, which is intended to emphasize the central importance of military power for Russia's security and position in the world.
Alexander III said these words at the end of the 19th century, Marko Mikkelson, chairman of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told X on Monday. Lavrov is now "repeating them for 2025", the Estonian politician wrote. "Nothing has changed."
Author: Frank Eichmann (ARD)