Russian top diplomat says Moscow ‘not chasing anyone’ to lift sanctions

ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is not asking anyone to lift sanctions, but he described the US sanctions regime as illegal and claimed it has destroyed global economic globalization.

In an interview with the Russian daily Kommersant, which was published on Monday, Lavrov said the Trump administration does not hide the fact that it seeks advantage in foreign policy based on material interests.

He added that Washington initiated talks on trade and economic cooperation during early contacts with Moscow.

“But everything will depend on how they intend to restore economic interaction,” Lavrov said. “Because this cooperation is blocked by about 95% compared to record levels of $30 billion ten years ago — blocked almost entirely by illegal sanctions. As you know, if you follow the debate in our society, we are not chasing anyone or asking for the sanctions to be lifted.”

The top Russian diplomat argued that even if US sanctions are lifted, Moscow must avoid dependency in critically important sectors. He emphasized the importance of economic sovereignty, saying President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly underscored this need.

“There is no global economic globalization anymore,” Lavrov said. “It was destroyed — not by Trump, but by Biden when he introduced sanctions and made them the sole instrument of his foreign policy.”