Lavrov: West Losing Global Economic Influence, and Resorts to
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that the West is losing its influence, dominance and control in the global economy and is attempting to maintain its influence through pressure, threats, and other "impure methods." He made these remarks during his speech at the "Fake News Dialogue 4.0" international forum in Moscow.
According to Lavrov, Western countries are struggling in economic competition within a system they themselves established—one they have long promoted as founded on globalization, free competition, property rights, and market forces.
"In the economy, the West is frankly losing," Lavrov asserted. He described this shift as an objective historical process that cannot be halted, warning that attempts to resist it could lead to economic, political, and military consequences.
Lavrov also accused Western nations of exerting intense pressure on countries in the Global South, including threats to withhold funding and other forms of coercion. He claimed that such tactics are also employed within international organizations, including the United Nations, where Western countries allegedly pressure others to align with their positions on resolutions. Lavrov argued that, without this pressure, Western states would often find themselves in the minority on key international issues. He clarified that this perspective reflects his position and not an independently verified fact.
Expanding his criticism, Lavrov addressed sports and culture, condemning what he described as "the pain of competition" in the actions of some international sports federations toward Russian athletes. He labeled the restrictions as political discrimination, contradicting the principles of the Olympic Charter.
Additionally, Lavrov commented on the media coverage of drone incidents in Europe, accusing Western outlets of falsely linking such cases to Russia as part of an information campaign against Moscow. He did not provide evidence supporting these claims.
Lavrov also revisited the Bucha incident, criticizing UN Secretary-General António Guterres for what he described as inconsistency in responding to Russian requests for information about the deaths. Moscow has long disputed international findings regarding the events in Bucha, where Ukraine and international investigations have held Russian forces responsible for civilian killings following the city’s occupation.
The "Fake News Dialogue 4.0" forum, held on September 22 in Moscow, brought together over 2,000 participants from 80 countries. Key topics included misinformation, fact-checking, artificial intelligence, and the use of AI to create deepfakes.