Russian Foreign Minister proposes to stop using US dollar for international payments
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has proposed to stop using the dollar and international payment systems in response to U.S. sanctions, reported the press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lavrov believes that the U.S. has set itself the task of "limiting the possibilities of technological development" of Russia and China. That is why Moscow should strengthen its economic independence.
"That's why we need to reduce sanctions risks by strengthening our technological independence, by moving to settlements in national currencies and in other world currencies, alternative to the dollar. It is necessary to move away from the international payment systems controlled by the West," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
The Russian minister also called the sanctions "quirks" used by Western partners to advance their "ideologized agenda."
"It is not right to punish anyone in the modern international arena, and to try to approach Russia and China with such measures is simply not smart," Lavrov added.
On March 18, the U.S. expanded sanctions against Russia due to the poisoning and arrest of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.