ST. PETERSBURG, June 9. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday said Washington is aiming its destructive policies at its rival the European Union, rather than Moscow and Beijing.

She made the statement in a speech at the 20th International Likhachev Scientific Readings conference.

"I am absolutely sure that for Washington the main recipient and the chief target of everything that is happening now, of course, is not Moscow and Beijing, but the European Union. That’s the main competitor," the diplomat concluded.

Zakharova said the "strong currency" of the European Union, which "rapidly burst onto the scene of the world order, having won a place for itself in the real sector of the economy," drove fear into the hearts of Europe’s American partners.

"After all, the euro was backed by the economies of 30 countries, real economic capacity, resources, and so on," she continued. "Therefore, a blow was dealt to Russian energy resources that were supplied to Europe, <…> in order to "decouple Europe from the EU in terms of resources and finances."