MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. The West's intention to defeat Russia in Ukraine may be related to the desire to "remove" the US competitor in the oil markets, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"By trying to defeat Russia on the battlefield, as they now declare, weaken it, and remove it from the ranks of global actors, numerous non-governmental groups and political personalities are already genuinely declaring that Russia must be "decolonized." Puppet organizations are being formed abroad, including "pro-freedom" organizations for particular Russian republics. This is undoubtedly related to removing a country that competes with the US in energy markets," he said in an interview for the documentary project "Oil" published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov also drew attention to the fact that the United States and its NATO allies give Ukraine their full material support.