As silence descends on Moscow following the latest signs of a possible rift between Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, another figure seems to be emerging behind the scenes. Sources close to the power circles suggest that Ekaterina Tikhonova, one of the Russian president’s daughters, might even be eyeing the position of the veteran diplomat.
Lavrov, considered for years Putin’s “man” in relations with the West, is said to have been excluded from the Kremlin’s top meetings — a detail that, in a regime so focused on symbols, equates to a form of internal exile.
According to sources quoted by the independent Russian press, Tikhonova would have reproached her father that Lavrov is “worsening the situation” and adopting a “too aggressive” attitude in managing the war in Ukraine. Former presidential advisor Abbas Galiyamov comments that, “maybe, this time Putin listened to his daughter — and, it must be said, she has a point”.
“Lavrov is a diplomat of victorious times. When you win, it’s useful to have a man who knows how to hit the negotiation table. But when you lose, caution is needed — a quality that Lavrov seems to have lost long ago”, says Galiyamov.
The Russian diplomat, nicknamed in the Western press “Dr. No” for his constant refusal to compromise, has been at the head of the Foreign Ministry for over two decades. However, his absence from the recent Security Council meeting — where Putin discussed resuming nuclear testing — has caught the attention of analysts.
Yet, his absence from the Russian Security Council meeting, where the possibility of resuming nuclear testing was discussed, has caught the attention of the press. The Moscow Times wrote that Putin has “sidelined” him after the collapse of the summit with the USA, and the pro-Kremlin Russian press justified the absence with the phrase “absent with the approval of the leadership”.
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