Lavrov accuses US of seeking control over global energy, distracting from Palestine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Trump administration of attempting to “usurp” influence over the global energy market on Wednesday.

Lavrov claimed Washington’s objective was to force Russian energy firms such as Lukoil and Rosneft out of international markets as part of a broader strategy to control global energy flows.

“The United States has adopted a series of doctrinal documents, one of which proclaims that the US must dominate global energy markets," he said in an interview with RT India. "So their goal is entirely clear: they want to bring every significant energy supply route under their control."

As part of this strategy, Washington is seeking control over key energy transit routes, including the damaged Nord Stream pipelines and gas transit infrastructure through Ukraine, he argued.

Washington plans also include shaping future European energy pricing and supply arrangements, Lavrov claimed.

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He argued that if the Nord Stream pipelines are used again, energy prices in Europe would no longer be determined through agreements between Russia and Germany but instead by the US, which he claimed seeks greater control over European energy infrastructure and supply.

"They want to purchase it at roughly one-tenth of what the Europeans paid for it,” he said.

At the same time, Lavrov said Moscow welcomed contacts initiated by Trump and noted that communication channels between the two countries remain active, including between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department.

“However, nothing is happening in real life. Aside from this regular dialogue – which is normal in relations between people and countries – everything else follows the pattern initiated by President (Joe) Biden," he said.

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Lavrov noted that sanctions introduced under the previous US administration remain in force and that additional measures targeting the Russian economy had since been adopted.

Commenting on tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov warned that instability around major maritime trade routes could severely affect global energy markets.

"Europe will probably be impacted more than anyone else by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Beyond that, bans on Russian gas and oil imports mean switching to US liquefied natural gas, which is dramatically more expensive," he said.

"The Nord Stream pipelines have been blown up. Now we are witnessing an aggression in the Strait of Hormuz. Word is out that the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait could also become a zone of confrontation, and the ensuing damage to global energy markets would be immeasurable," he said.

Distracting from Palestine

Commenting on the situation in the Middle East in an interview with RT India, Lavrov said ongoing US-provoked disputes involving Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland and Canada were distracting international attention from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"All of the efforts that are being taken right now on Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Greenland, and now Canada ... all of these issues are moving us away from settling the most protracted, the most negative crisis in the world – that is, the crisis around Palestine," he said.

The minister criticised American proposals regarding the future of the Gaza Strip, saying they did not address the establishment of a Palestinian state.

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"I have no doubt that when plans to stir up aggression against Iran were being hatched, one of the goals was to prevent the normalization of relations between Iran and the Arab states," he said.

He added: "Now, everything is being done to ensure that reconciliation never happens ... and to pull its other Gulf neighbours into structures that, first, will not focus on resolving the Palestinian issue, and second, will force them to betray the Palestinian cause as the price for normalising relations with Israel."

Lavrov argued that failure to create such a state would prolong instability and extremism in the region for decades.

“We are returning to a period when everything is decided by force and international law is ignored,” Lavrov said.

India, Pakistan tensions

Commenting on tensions between India and Pakistan, Lavrov suggested that external actors may be contributing to fanning the disagreements, arguing that Western countries are not interested in deeper Eurasian integration within frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

"The West would prefer that countries in the region remain preoccupied with disputes among themselves rather than focus on the task we discussed today – the development of Eurasian continental integration. Such integration does not align with Western interests," he said.

The foreign minister also highlighted the long-standing military-technical partnership between Russia and India. He noted that cooperation had evolved from arms sales to joint production projects, including BrahMos missiles, Kalashnikov rifles and licenced production of T-90 tanks in India.

“India’s defence capability is an area of our relations where we have practically no secrets from our Indian friends,” Lavrov said.