Vladimir Putin’s “Mr Nyet”

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is Putin's marathon man in the Kremlin. Like no other he embodies the mysterious nature of Russian politics.

Sergei Lavrov likes to quote his great predecessor. Not Andrei Gromyko, the tough, brainy and knowledgeable Soviet foreign minister from 1957 to 1985, who was known as “Mr Nyet” for his relentless use of the Kremlin’s veto in the United Nations Security Council.

Lavrov too likes to say “no”, but his hero is from an earlier era: Alexander Gorchakov, who served for 26 years as Russia’s chief diplomat in the 19th century, and best known for his phrase La Russie ne boude pas; elle se recueille.

Vladimir Putin’s “Mr N ...