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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Trump administration on Wednesday of attempting to “usurp” influence over the global energy market.
Lavrov claimed Washington’s objective was to force Russian energy companies 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 U.S. must dominate global energy markets,” Lavrov said in an interview with broadcaster RT India.
“So their goal is entirely clear: They want to bring every significant energy supply route under their control,” he added.
Lavrov argued that Washington is seeking influence over key energy transit routes, including the damaged Nord Stream pipelines and gas infrastructure passing through Ukraine.
He also claimed the U.S. intends to shape future European energy pricing and supply arrangements.
“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 United States,” Lavrov said.
“They want to purchase it at roughly one-tenth of what the Europeans paid for it,” he added.
Despite the criticism, Lavrov said Moscow welcomed contacts initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump and noted that communication channels between the two countries remain active, including between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. 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.
Lavrov noted that sanctions introduced under the previous U.S. administration remain in force and that additional measures targeting the Russian economy have since been adopted.
Commenting on tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov warned that instability around major maritime trade routes could have severe consequences for global energy markets.
“Europe will probably be impacted more than anyone else by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
“Beyond that, bans on Russian gas and oil imports mean switching to U.S. liquefied natural gas, which is dramatically more expensive,” he added.
Lavrov also warned about growing risks around key maritime chokepoints.
“The Nord Stream pipelines have been blown up. Now we are witnessing 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.
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