Lavrov: Russia, BRICS Nations Will Defend Their Interests

BRICS countries are actively seeking alternatives to the U.S. dollar to protect themselves from financial pressure and potential abuses by Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

In comments highlighting the growing role of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Lavrov emphasized the need for member states to unite in defending their national interests against external financial threats, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

"Because there have been specific threats from Washington against BRICS, that BRICS should be fought, that BRICS undermines the interests of the United States, I will say in fairness that President Trump previously had laid out a somewhat different point of view," he said at a news conference following the SCO Foreign Ministers' Council meeting in Tianjin.

According to the minister, Trump used to point to irreparable damage that had been done to the dollar by the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Lavrov said a gradual pivot away from the dollar is now unstoppable, with statistics confirming the trend by showing how the dollar's share in world trade has changed.

"It is not because we wanted to run away from the dollar," the minister said. "President Putin has repeatedly emphasized this: It is that it was decided to use the dollar to punish the countries whose behavior the Americans see as inconsistent with the infamous rules that they want the entire world order to be built around."

"But if we talk seriously about fears, our profession is not to fear. Our profession is to make sure that Russian interests are reckoned with, to work openly, honestly, on the basis of international law, on the basis of agreed principles. A self-respecting, strong, independent power can’t behave otherwise," he went on to say.

Lavrov expressed confidence that Trump realizes that his own assessment of Biden's actions was fair and understands that it is in response to the previous US administration's outrageous policies that BRICS and many other groups are looking for alternative ways of payment that would not be tied to the dollar and thus be insured from "Washington's abuses."

"We have, I want to stress this again, every reason to believe that BRICS member countries are also sovereign and value this status in the global system," the minister said.