Russian Foreign Minister on EU: "Plunder" and "Geopolitical Lawlessness"
Signing of the article. Source: MID
Today, the Russian newspaper Kommersant published an article by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov titled The Impact of Global Economy on International Security. In it, Lavrov takes aim at the European Union, which he says is turning into a military bloc, is afflicted by “delusions of grandeur,” and “justifies plunder” of the alleged Russian “shadow fleet.”
“The European Union, which is turning itself into a military bloc and is clearly affected by delusions of grandeur, has harked back to the days of slavery and piracy and taken to openly seizing foreign vessels and stealing their cargoes. To justify this plunder, it has invented the term “shadow fleet,” which has no basis in international law, as well as so-called price caps. Markets are being thrown into turmoil by this kind of geopolitical lawlessness.”
The minister goes on to describe the current geopolitical context and the effects that the lack of cooperation creates in the global economy, touching on global energy, food security, and on supply chains.
Russia’s Contribution
In October, Moscow hosted the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and the Russian Energy Week International Forum, which featured comprehensive discussions of the oil and gas markets. On the summit’s sidelines, Russian and US officials also discussed joint Arctic gas projects. The main conclusion, Lavrov writes, was that the sustainable development of the energy sector is possible only if it is depoliticized.
Unlike its opponents, he argues, Russia does not use the economy to settle geopolitical scores or wage positional battles with competitors. Since 2022, Moscow has supplied Europe with energy resources worth $320 billion. The agreement reached by the leaders of Russia and the United States to suspend restrictions on Russian diesel exports, he writes, was an important contribution to energy security; implementation has already begun, and prices fell immediately as a result.
On the Shipping Volumes of the Northern Sea Route
Lavrov also touts the country’s transit potential, framing trans-Arctic shipping as a safer, cheaper alternative to the southern corridors.
“Our country’s transit potential is growing. Trans-Arctic routes are emerging as a safe and cost-effective alternative to southern transport corridors. Shipping along the Northern Sea Route has reached an all-time high: the number of voyages along this route in early 2026 was 1.5 times higher than in the same period last year, while cargo volumes increased by 25 percent. The forecast for 2026 stands at 40 million tons. Trade along the International North-South Transport Corridor and through the Eastern Operating Domain is expanding as well.”
The minister frames the Northern Sea Route as part of a wider rewiring of trade beyond the West, which he accuses of dismantling the globalization it once championed. He closes by calling for a more democratic global economy built on non-discrimination and mutual respect.
Source: MID