Lavrov says US influence is declining as global power becomes more multipolar

Tuesday 08 September 2026 - 16:25

By: Azzat Manal

Lavrov says US influence is declining as global power becomes more multipolar

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has argued that the United States is gradually losing influence in the global economy and international politics, while Europe is experiencing an even faster decline in its position.

In an interview published by the online project Sama Menshova, Lavrov said the international system was already becoming increasingly multipolar as the relative weight of the United States in the global economy changes. He argued that this economic shift is also affecting Washington’s ability to shape international political affairs.

Lavrov said Washington’s foreign policy is increasingly focused on containing China, which he described as one of the main forces behind the transformation of the international order. He also criticized what he portrayed as growing efforts by Western countries to reshape established global economic institutions and trade relationships.

According to the Russian foreign minister, sanctions, restrictions on supply chains and measures that limit access to cheaper trade routes are increasingly being used to prevent countries considered geopolitical rivals from benefiting fully from international commerce.

He claimed that the United States and its partners were seeking to encourage a broader international alignment against China and, to a lesser extent, Russia. Lavrov acknowledged that Russia’s economic weight remains smaller than China’s but argued that Moscow is nevertheless part of the wider geopolitical competition over the future shape of the global system.

The Russian minister presented the current international environment as a broader contest between competing visions of globalization. In his view, one model would preserve an open international system with fewer political barriers to economic development and greater freedom of cooperation in areas such as education, culture and sport.

Lavrov also highlighted the role of the BRICS group, which has expanded its international presence in recent years, portraying it as an advocate of a more inclusive global order based on competition between countries without political restrictions.

He accused Western countries of being reluctant to accept what he described as fair competition, particularly as emerging economies seek a larger role in international institutions and global markets.

Lavrov’s comments come amid major shifts in international economic and political relations, including the growing influence of China, the expansion of emerging-market coalitions and continuing tensions between Russia and Western countries.

The debate over multipolarity has become increasingly prominent as countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America seek to diversify their economic and diplomatic partnerships. Supporters of a multipolar system argue that global decision-making should reflect the growing weight of emerging economies rather than remain dominated by a small group of Western powers.

For Moscow, the transition toward a multipolar world has become a central element of its foreign-policy narrative. Russian officials have repeatedly argued that the international system is moving away from the post-Cold War period of predominant US influence toward a more distributed balance of power.

Lavrov’s latest remarks therefore underline Russia’s broader assessment that global influence is being redistributed, with the United States facing growing competition from China and other emerging powers while Europe confronts its own economic and geopolitical challenges.