Russian FM claims G-7 is 'military headquarters' for US

Russia's foreign minister claimed on Monday that the G-7 is being used as a "military headquarters" by the US to devise strategies for containing Russia, China, Iran, and other competitors, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

Speaking at an event in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Sergey Lavrov said BRICS countries had exceeded the G-7 in terms of gross domestic product adjusted for purchasing power parity prior to the expansion of the economic bloc in January.

Lavrov, who was speaking on the occasion of the start of Russia's new academic year, accused G-7 countries of trying to maintain their "dominant influence" in the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization by slowing institutional reforms.

The decline of G-7 influence is "unstoppable," he asserted, claiming that the West is trying to "break up" Russia.

"They need a dependent, fading, dying space, where they can do whatever they want," instead of Russia, he added.

"For this, they gathered a coalition of about 50 countries under arms, in order to try to dismember Russia," he said, emphasizing the need for eliminate all dependence from Western mechanisms being used "against everyone who wants to be independent."

"The key principle of the UN Charter is the sovereign equality of the state. If you take the history of any conflict that has taken place since the creation of the UN, in no conflict have either the United States or its allies applied this principle … They have not considered anyone equal to themselves and, unfortunately, do not consider anyone equal,” he added.

News.Az