Lavrov: Global Rules Collapse as US Enforces ‘Might Makes Right’ Order
Russian foreign minister says the US is discarding long-standing international rules, replacing them with power politics and a “might makes right” approach.
Russia | PUREWILAYAH.COM — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that long-standing global rules of conduct have effectively collapsed, replaced by a system where power dictates outcomes, warning that international law is being sidelined in favor of unilateral force.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lavrov said the so-called global order has been fundamentally altered, with consequences now visible not only across the Global South and Global East, but within the Western bloc itself.
‘Rules-Based Order’ Rewritten by One Country
Lavrov pointed to the ongoing crisis surrounding Greenland and US President Donald Trump’s push to annex the Danish autonomous territory as a striking example of the erosion of international norms.
He said the situation has come as a “shock” to Western Europe, noting that the “rules-based order” long promoted by the collective West is now being rewritten by a single power.
According to Lavrov, principles that Western states once claimed to uphold are now being discarded when they conflict with US strategic interests.
Economic Rules Also Abandoned, Lavrov Says
The Russian foreign minister also addressed Western efforts to counter China’s economic strength through sanctions and tariffs, stating that long-standing rules governing international economic relations have been abandoned.
He said the foundations that once underpinned global economic institutions are no longer being respected.
“Of course, the US wants to negotiate, but so far this is all happening in the absence of any common criteria that until recently underpinned the work of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization,” Lavrov said.
“This is a game of ‘might makes right.’”
Moscow to Defend Its Rights Without Imposing on Others
Lavrov emphasized that Russia will continue to engage with other countries on the basis of equality, defending its national interests without infringing on the legal rights of others.
At the same time, he warned that Moscow will not tolerate violations of its own legal rights.
“We will stand up for our interests,” Lavrov said, stressing that Russia will not allow anyone to “take liberties with our own legal rights.” (PW)