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Moscow, Russia— Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced he is ready to meet in person with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, a statement that comes amid highly publicized international speculation about a rift between Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin.¹

In an interview with Russian state media RIA Novosti on Sunday, November 9, 2025, Lavrov stressed the importance of communication between the two major global powers.²

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio and I understand the need for regular communication... It is important for discussing the Ukraine issue and for advancing the bilateral agenda.³ That is why we communicate by telephone and are ready to hold face-to-face meetings when necessary," Lavrov stated.⁴

🛑 Stalled Summit Fuels Rift Rumours

Lavrov's public readiness to engage with his U.S. counterpart follows the recent, abrupt cancellation of a planned summit in Budapest between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.⁵

• The Allegation: Various media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that the summit was put on ice after the Russian Foreign Ministry signaled that Moscow was unwilling to yield on its core demands for ending the war in Ukraine.⁶

• Targeting Lavrov: This led to speculation that the veteran diplomat had fallen out of favor with Putin. Further fueling the rumors was Lavrov's conspicuous absence from a key Security Council meeting earlier this week, and the selection of a Kremlin deputy chief of staff instead of Lavrov to head Russia’s delegation at an upcoming G20 summit.⁷

denials and hardline demands

The Kremlin has firmly denied any speculation of a falling-out between Putin and Lavrov.⁸ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "There is nothing true in these reports...⁹ Lavrov is working as foreign minister, of course."¹⁰

Despite the talk of renewed engagement, Lavrov’s comments underscored that Russia remains firm on its maximalist position regarding the war:¹¹

• Core Conditions: Lavrov reiterated that ending the conflict is "impossible without taking Russian interests into account and eradicating its root causes"—a phrase Moscow uses to refer to what it sees as NATO's aggressive expansion toward its borders.¹²

• Crimea is Settled: He also maintained Russia's hardline stance on occupied territories, asserting that the "issue of the peninsula's sovereignty is settled," referring to the 2014 annexation of Crimea.¹³

The willingness for a high-level diplomatic meeting signals a potential path to de-escalation, but Russia's unwavering demands suggest that any substantive peace negotiation remains far off.