Moscow, Russia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov does not expect any change in US policy towards Russia or Ukraine under incoming president Donald Trump.

"They feel comfortable when they weaken Russia and its influence," Lavrov said of US governments in general in an interview with Russian state TV.

"Ultimately, everything that happens can be traced back to the desire to eliminate Russia as a competitor," he claimed, adding that Washington will continue to strive to keep everything under its control.

Lavrov is representing Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next week, where he will also meet US representatives.

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During the election campaign, Trump said he intended to end the Ukraine war through a deal with Russia, though he provided no details. Putin congratulated Trump on his election victory last week and expressed openness for dialogue. At the same time, he emphasized that Trump was unpredictable, adding that it remains to be seen what exactly the new Trump administration will do.

Lavrov warned against a resumption of the Minsk agreements to resolve the conflict. The agreements, brokered by Germany and France in 2014 and 2015, had proposed autonomy for the Donbass region, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later rejected.

After invading in February 2022, Russia has since illegally annexed Luhansk and Donetsk.