Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has taken aim at Washington’s tariff rhetoric, arguing that attempts to pressure countries like India and China into cutting ties with Moscow will fail. Speaking on Russia’s main Channel 1 TV programme ‘The Great Game,’ Lavrov said the United States’ approach is instead driving nations further away.
“The demands that the US has put forth for countries like China and India to stop purchasing Russian energy are pushing the countries further away. It forces them to look for new energy markets, new resources, and forces them to pay more,” Lavrov said.
He warned that the tone adopted by Washington would not resonate with large, independent nations. “Both China and India are ancient civilisations, and to use this language with them, ‘either stop doing what I don’t like, or I’ll impose tariffs on you’ well, that won’t work,” Lavrov stated.
Over recent weeks, President Donald Trump and senior US officials have criticised India’s continued imports of Russian oil, claiming New Delhi is funding the war in Ukraine. India has rejected the charge, calling it unfair and reiterating that its energy purchases are based on national interest and market conditions.
Lavrov also dismissed the impact of possible new sanctions on Moscow. “Frankly speaking, I don’t see any problem with the new sanctions imposed on Russia. An enormous amount of sanctions, unprecedented for that period, were imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term,” he said.
He added that Moscow has already adapted to Western restrictions. “We have started to draw conclusions from the situation when the West imposed these sanctions. Later, during President Joe Biden’s term, sanctions were used as a replacement for any diplomatic effort. There was no search for a compromise,” Lavrov observed.
Indian officials have likewise criticised Washington’s tariff moves, calling them “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable” and emphasising that New Delhi’s energy procurement will continue to be guided by its national priorities.
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