Sergey Lavrov remains in his post as Russia's foreign minister, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially refutes rumors about his resignation.
At the currently ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the official representative of the ministry, Maria Zakharova, called the allegations of resignation “speculation spread by enemies“.
Moscow insists that the 76-year-old diplomat is in good health and actively fulfilling his duties. Lavrov himself participated in the SPIEF, where he made statements about the foreign policy of the European Union.
Over the past six months, independent Russian and foreign sources have reported that Lavrov has long-standing heart problems and suffers from chronic overexertion due to his age. In November last year, there were allegations that he had suffered a hypertensive crisis, after which he reduced his physical presence at the ministry, working more often from his country residence and delegating some of the tasks to younger staff.
The Kremlin and the Russian Interior Ministry categorically deny plans to replace the foreign minister. The political leadership emphasizes that the decision on a possible retirement is entirely within the powers of President Vladimir Putin. Lavrov has held the post for a record 22 years (since March 2004). Political analysts note that rumors about his resignation appear periodically due to his advanced age and the fact that over the past six months, some of the key diplomatic shuttles (for example, negotiations with the United States) have been taken over directly by the presidential administration and aide Yuri Ushakov.
Lavrov's figure is presented as a pillar of Russian geopolitics. Maria Zakharova described him as a “great diplomat whose work is envied by enemies“. Official media outlets deny any internal conflicts or loss of trust on Putin's part.
The topic has been intensely discussed on the Russian internet due to the appearance of fake videos (deepfake) generated with artificial intelligence, in which Lavrov allegedly announces that he is "ending his powers".
Russian users and analysts have widely identified these materials as disinformation, but they have further intensified public attention about the future of the Russian Foreign Ministry.