10 hours ago
2
Russia on Monday pointed to China’s rising global influence as a target of the United States’ foreign policy and the revamped national security strategy.
In an interview with Iran’s broadcasting media corporation, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov opined that Washington’s current focus isn’t Europe but Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Lavrov acknowledged China’s “strength” and how it annually demonstrates “increasingly higher indicators of economic development, financial power and political clout.”
Noting that the U.S. “does not want to play second fiddle,” the diplomat advised America to be fair in its trade approach and avoid muzzling competitors.
Lavrov said that “trying to suppress rivals by 100- or 500-percent tariffs” is not the globalization the United States promoted after World War II ended.
“When sanctions are imposed after declaring that the reason is the political position of this or that country or this or that person, this is more than inequality, this is a disrespect for human rights,” he added.
Lavrov criticized the ban on Russia’s largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, an action the U.S. government announced in October 2025 to cut Kremlin funding for the war in Ukraine.
The minister accused the West of resorting to “anti-democratic and anti-market methods” because it does not always have enough power to maintain domination.
On Iran, Lavrov recalled Russia’s condemnation of the strikes by Israel, followed by the United States, insisting that the actions had nothing to do with international legality.
Moscow argues that neither the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor Israel, nor America, “has offered any clear evidence that Iran has violated something.”
Lavrov, however, reiterated his country’s support for the Islamic Republic’s efforts to overcome the crisis, including in its talks with the IAEA and with the West in general.
He also rebuffed commentators’ views that Russia may abandon Iran on the heels of Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s frequent contact, which some experts say heralds normal U.S.-Russia relations.
Such naysayers “are lying,” the minister declared, daring them to cite one example when Russia betrayed an ally “for the sake of improving relations with another country, no matter how big or powerful.”
