Reports of Lavrov’s exclusion from the Foreign Ministry are false

The Kremlin said on Monday that Sergei Lavrov was carrying out his duties as Russia’s foreign minister as usual and suggested that people ignore speculation in Western media that he may no longer be a favorite of President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov (75 years old), a veteran Soviet-era diplomat known for his strong negotiating style, missed an important meeting in the Kremlin last week that he usually attended. Putin has chosen another person to attend the G20 summit in South Africa later this month, a role that Lavrov previously filled.

On Friday, the Kremlin denied speculation that Lavrov had become one of Putin’s ire, after efforts to organize a summit between the Russian president and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, were halted last month.