MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. The West’s aggressive policy is driven by its loss of influence on the global stage and fear of fair competition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Shanghai Media Group (SMG).
"The financial and economic system led by the West after World War II can no longer function in a way that guarantees continued benefit for Western countries," Lavrov pointed out. "Other states have begun outperforming the West within the very system and according to the very rules originally established by the United States and its Western allies. What we are witnessing today in the form of sanctions, the seizure of sovereign states, and even attempts at intervention is, above all, a manifestation of unfair and dishonest competition," he added.
The Russian foreign minister also said that "the West increasingly relies on such methods across many sectors - economy, technology, trade, and sports, where athletes from certain countries are suddenly excluded from international competitions." "This is a very serious issue. Fear of competition, which reflects the West’s awareness of its declining influence over global affairs, is clearly evident in these actions," he added.
