FT article about Lavrov and Rubio seen as part of media war against Russia — MFA
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a recent Financial Times article describing a meeting between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is part of a larger information campaign targeting Russia. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the publication during a press briefing.
"We should refrain from commenting on the content of this article. It is merely another element of the hybrid war waged against Russia by the collective West, driven by its Anglo-Saxon influence," Zakharova said.
She argued that Ukraine is being used as an instrument in this campaign and added that the West's real goals oppose peace and stability in Europe.
"Peace, stability, and security in Europe are their true anti-goals," she noted.
Zakharova dismissed the Financial Times report as a "fantastic story," comparing it to an Agatha Christie novel and claiming it was designed to provoke headlines and division.
"This piece was intended to cause ripples, to be heralded as a primary source. Just observe how this topic has been subsequently rehashed," she added.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the FT's claims that the United States canceled a planned meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Budapest following a Russian memorandum on Ukraine. The newspaper also described the Lavrov–Rubio talks during summit preparations as tense. Peskov rejected allegations that Lavrov had lost standing in Moscow, calling such claims "completely untrue."
Author’s summary
The Russian Foreign Ministry portrays a Financial Times report on Lavrov and Rubio as a Western-driven media attack amid ongoing tensions over Ukraine.