Lavrov accuses US of energy dominance push against Russia

2026-03-22 - 07:49

Russia’s top diplomat has launched a blistering attack on Washington’s energy strategy, claiming the United States is orchestrating a systematic campaign to push Moscow out of global energy markets. Sergey Lavrov said the US has openly declared its willingness to use any means necessary to secure its economic interests, including tactics he described as extreme. The Russian foreign minister alleged that Washington’s pursuit of energy dominance involves far more than economic competition. Speaking to Russian media, Lavrov accused the US of resorting to coups, abductions, and even the assassination of foreign leaders to gain control over nations with valuable natural resources. He pointed to American military operations in Venezuela and Iran, asserting that oil was the undisclosed motive behind those interventions. Lavrov noted that sanctions imposed on Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft represent the first major penalties under the Trump administration, distinguishing them from previous measures enacted under Joe Biden. He argued that Washington is deliberately facilitating Russia’s exclusion from European energy markets while simultaneously working to sideline Moscow in Serbia. According to the Russian minister, the ultimate goal is to confine Russia’s energy sector to its own territory, after which the US would seek to dictate terms for cooperation. The veteran diplomat painted a grim picture of the current global order, suggesting the world is regressing to an era before international law and multilateral agreements. He criticized what he described as a “might is right” mentality, contrasting it with Russia’s self-image as a defender of truth. Lavrov also took aim at European nations, accusing them of clinging to a neocolonial mindset rooted in centuries of imperial rule. When asked about Russia’s allies, Lavrov offered a characteristically blunt response, invoking the Tsarist-era maxim that Russia’s only true allies are its army and navy. He updated the phrase to include aerospace forces and newly established unmanned aerial vehicle troops, suggesting Moscow’s military capabilities remain its ultimate source of strength in an increasingly hostile international environment.