Lavrov: Russia expects no miracle from Trump administration on sanctions
In short
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on 20 October that Russia expects no miracle from the Trump administration on sanctions. He said the United States is at best a competitor and at minimum an adversary not ready for fair competition.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia does not expect a miracle from the administration of US President Donald Trump on sanctions. RIA Novosti reported that he was commenting on the administration's policy on sanctions and tariffs. Interfax framed the remarks as a statement about relations with the US. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Lavrov spoke at a meeting with university graduates who had been admitted to the diplomatic service. Interfax gave the day as Tuesday, 20 October. He told them to read what US officials say, naming Scott Bessent and Elbridge Colby, whom Interfax described as a deputy minister for military-political affairs at the Pentagon. He said Russia has information on how they speak with its neighbours, friends and partners in Latin America, and Interfax added Africa. "We do not expect any miracle," he said. [ 1 , 3 ]
Lavrov said one should proceed from the assumption that the US side is, at best, a competitor and, at minimum, an adversary, and that it is not ready for fair competition. According to RIA Novosti, he also recalled that Bessent, commenting on the Russia-US agreement on diesel fuel, had said it was only an exception to sanctions that remain in force and that there is no way around them. RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as adding that Russia should rely only on itself. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The remarks show how Russia's foreign minister publicly describes relations with Washington and its sanctions policy. The documents give no US response.
Key facts
- Lavrov said Russia expects no miracle from the Trump administration on sanctions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said the US side should be assumed to be, at best, competitors and, at minimum, adversaries. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Lavrov said the US is not ready for fair competition. [ 1 , 3 ]
- He spoke at a meeting with university graduates newly admitted to the diplomatic service. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Lavrov recalled that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the Russia-US diesel fuel agreement only an exception to sanctions that remain in force. [ 1 ]
- RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying Russia must rely only on itself. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What Bessent and Colby have said about Russia. Interfax quotes Lavrov pointing to their statements without giving their content; RIA Novosti cites only Bessent's remark on the diesel agreement.
- Terms of the Russia-US diesel fuel agreement. The documents mention the agreement only through Lavrov's recollection of Bessent's comment and give no details.