Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is not actively seeking the removal of sanctions, although he criticized the US sanctions regime as unlawful and accused it of dismantling global economic globalization.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lavrov shared these views in an interview with the Russian daily Kommersant, published on Monday. He accused the Trump administration of leveraging foreign policy for material gain and noted that Washington initiated discussions on trade and economic cooperation during initial interactions with Moscow.

Lavrov highlighted that the extent of this cooperation is now significantly reduced, stating, "But everything will depend on how they intend to restore economic interaction." He pointed out that the cooperation is "blocked by about 95% compared to record levels of $30 billion ten years ago - blocked almost entirely by illegal sanctions." He further clarified Moscow's stance by saying, "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 Russian Foreign Minister also emphasized the need for Moscow to avoid dependency in critically important sectors, even if US sanctions are eventually lifted. He stressed the importance of economic sovereignty, noting that President Vladimir Putin consistently highlights this necessity.

Lavrov concluded by commenting on the state of global economic globalization, stating, "There is no global economic globalization anymore. It was destroyed - not by Trump, but by Biden when he introduced sanctions and made them the sole instrument of his foreign policy."