Lavrov‘s Position Under Scrutiny as Putin Considers Alternatives
Recent events surrounding the cancellation of a potential summit between Donald Trump and vladimir Putin have fueled speculation about the standing of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov within the kremlin. The proposed meeting, slated for Budapest, would have offered Putin a symbolic victory by demonstrating his ability to travel freely in Europe despite international efforts to isolate him, and provided an opportunity to reiterate Moscow’s position on Ukraine to a US president who previously appeared receptive to it.
Following the summit’s cancellation, trump announced sanctions against two of russia’s largest oil producers. The circumstances surrounding the failed negotiations remain unclear, raising questions about whether Lavrov misstepped diplomatically or if Washington was never genuinely open to a meeting without concessions from Putin.
Boris Bondarev, a former senior Russian diplomat who resigned after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, suggests the latter is more likely. He argues that Lavrov consistently functions as a direct mouthpiece for Putin and would not deviate from the president’s established positions. “Putin has been very cozy working with Lavrov all these years as Sergei viktorovich is a seasoned bureaucrat,” Bondarev stated. “He knows perfectly well that you should never say anything that does not coincide 100% with the president’s position.” Bondarev further posited that Putin might be seeking to blame Lavrov for the failed summit, as “in Russia’s system, the boss can never be in the wrong.”
Lavrov himself addressed speculation about his position in a weekend interview with state-controlled RIA Novosti, acknowledging “certain difficulties” in peace talks with Washington. Though, sources indicate Lavrov’s influence on foreign policy has been diminishing for some time. He was reportedly surprised by the decision to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was excluded from the inner circle involved in its planning.
Further challenging lavrov’s authority is the rise of Kirill Dmitriev,head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a close associate of Putin’s daughter. Since Trump’s re-election in 2024, Dmitriev has reportedly engaged in direct talks with members of Trump’s inner circle, encroaching on Lavrov’s traditional diplomatic role.
The strained relationship between Lavrov and Dmitriev became apparent during peace talks in Riyadh in February, when Lavrov allegedly attempted to exclude Dmitriev from a meeting by removing his chair. Putin intervened to ensure Dmitriev’s participation. According to a former high-ranking official, ”The two absolutely cannot stand each other.”
