U.S. desperate after ‘losing’ five centuries of global influence — Russia

The U.S. resorts to illegitimate measures in a bid to stop its influence on the international arena from shrinking, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

Lavrov said during his annual news conference.

“The U.S. and the … West are losing their absolutely dominant positions they enjoyed for at least five centuries, as new centres of economic growth, financial power and political influence are emerging in the natural course of history,” he said.

“`…, as the need to adapt the international system to involving these new centers of power in the process of equal dialogue, and the process of creating constructive solutions, satisfying everyone, emerge, the U.S., unfortunately, resorts to illegitimate methods, with the help of which they are trying to halt the decrease of their role in global politics.
“As soon as a U.S. initiative faces not even confrontation, but a countersuggestion, [Washington] feels impatience, and threatens with sanctions. There are multiple examples of this.

“The actions of [the U.S.] administration demonstrate fear of fair competition in a number of areas, [particularly] energy, gas supplies to Europe, when instead of Russian gas, supplies of U.S. liquefied natural gas are imposed, which is significantly more expensive.
“It is counteraction to Nord Stream II… It is the defense industry, the sanctions imposed on the Russian defense sector.

“Let us also look at the media industry, it is also the limitation of competition. I am talking about the attitude to RT and Sputnik in the U. S., in France… And finally, the area of sports, the situation around the upcoming Olympics, and decisions in relation to the Russian athletes.”

Lavrov also said that Moscow and Beijing are proposing to freeze any confrontation and military activities on the Korean peninsula to settle the crisis around North Korea’s nuclear programme.

“As you know, together with China, we have a joint initiative, concerning shifting from confrontation to political settlement of the issue on the Korean peninsula.
“Firstly, we propose everyone to calm down, freeze any confrontational activities, primarily ones related to military activities, either missile launches, nuclear tests, or the organisation of large-scale maneuvers, which the United States together with South Korea and Japan have held, and continue to hold in this region.

“When this freeze, this moratorium on non-friendly and confrontational moves comes into effect, we will actively support direct contacts between the most interested parties, namely Pyongyang and Washington, as we are taking on the North Korean nuclear issue.
“We will be ready to support their bilateral dialogue as part of the Six Party talks with participation of Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea.

“These are the most important issues addressed by Russia and China in their international agenda,” Lavrov added. Sputnik/NAN)