'Everything Is Fine': Kremlin Plays Down Speculation Putin Has Fallen Out With His Top Diplomat

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/69120f67170000c83d9c514c.jpeg?cache=7NJRyPp1Qr&ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov are said to have fallen out recently, although the Kremlin denies it." data-caption="Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov are said to have fallen out recently, although the Kremlin denies it." data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="via Associated Press" />Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov are said to have fallen out recently, although the Kremlin denies it.</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>The <a href="news/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kremlin</a> has pushed back on speculation that<a href="news/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Vladimir Putin </a>is displeased with his long-time ally and top diplomat.</p><p>Sergei Lavrov’s mysterious absence from key government meetings – both inside and outside Russia – in recent weeks has set off alarm bells considering how consistently the senior politician has supported Putin over the decades.</p><p>Lavrov, who has been in post since 2004, was the only permanent member of the security council missing last Tuesday when Putin told his officials to come up with a plan to resume nuclear weapons testing. </p><p>A junior minister has also replaced Lavrov in Russia’s delegation to the G20 summit in South Africa.</p><p>But Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Lavrov “continues to work, and he is actively at work”.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/10/lavrov-absence-sparks-speculation-he-has-fallen-from-favour-with-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to The Guardian, </a>