Kremlin Dismisses Reports of Lavrov's Removal from Foreign Ministry as False

The Kremlin pushed back Monday against Western media reports suggesting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has fallen out of favor with President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin officials said Lavrov continues his duties as usual and urged people to ignore the speculation.

The rumors started after some notable absences. Lavrov, 75, missed an important Kremlin meeting last week that he would normally attend. Putin also chose someone else to represent Russia at the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa - a role Lavrov typically fills.

Lavrov has been Russia's top diplomat since 2004 and is known for his tough negotiating style. The veteran diplomat, who started his career during the Soviet era, has been Putin's main voice on foreign policy for nearly two decades.

The Kremlin already denied similar speculation on Friday. Those reports suggested Lavrov had lost Putin's confidence after efforts to arrange a summit between Putin and then-President Donald Trump fell through last month.

For investors and diplomatic watchers, any shake-up in Russia's foreign ministry leadership could signal shifts in Moscow's international approach. Lavrov has been the face of Russian diplomacy through major crises, from the 2014 Ukraine conflict to recent tensions with the West. His potential departure would mark the end of an era in Russian foreign policy.

But the Kremlin's firm denials suggest Putin still backs his long-serving foreign minister, despite the recent absences that sparked the speculation.