Vladimir Putin denied rumors that Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, allegedly lost trust and stopped appearing at official meetings in the Kremlin.
“This is complete nonsense. Lavrov is not in disgrace. He has his own work schedule, and he informed me about what he will be doing and the timelines. He is actively engaged in this and is preparing for a meeting with American partners,” Putin stated at a press conference following his visit to Bishkek.
According to The Moscow Times, on November 6, Lavrov apparently fell out of favor after an unsuccessful conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which reportedly led to the cancellation of the summit between Putin and Trump. The Financial Times also reported that the meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest was canceled, partly following Rubio's conversation with Lavrov. FT sources claim that Rubio informed Trump that Moscow showed no desire for negotiations, which did not impress the U.S. president.
