Lavrov says U.S. used post-9/11 solidarity to expand global influence

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the United States of using the international solidarity that followed the September 11, 2001, attacks to advance broader geopolitical objectives and expand its global influence.

In an interview with Russian broadcaster RBC, Lavrov said Washington had capitalized on international support for the U.S.-led response to the attacks, arguing that the resulting military campaign and international coalition were used for purposes beyond combating terrorism.

“Relations have changed for the worse,” Lavrov said, according to the interview. He argued that the United States used international support and a resolution authorizing its military operation to pursue what he described as geopolitical plans and greater international influence.

Lavrov pointed to a series of U.S. and Western military interventions over the past several decades as evidence of what he characterized as a broader pattern.

He cited the NATO intervention in Yugoslavia, the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. According to Lavrov, the dismantling of Iraqi state institutions and the disbanding of the military contributed to conditions that later facilitated the emergence of militant groups, including Islamic State (ISIS), which is banned in Russia.

The Russian foreign minister also criticized the 2011 NATO-backed intervention in Libya, describing the country before the conflict as prosperous and arguing that its subsequent political fragmentation has remained unresolved.

Lavrov additionally referenced conflicts involving Georgia and Ukraine, presenting them as part of what he described as a continuing effort by a U.S.-dominated international system to preserve its influence.

He characterized these developments as an attempt by what he called the “unipolar world” to resist broader historical changes.

“This will continue for a long time. This is an entire era,” Lavrov said.