Russia has branded US President Donald Trump’s new threat of tariffs as “unacceptable” and politically provocative, downplaying the 50-day ultimatum. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would be able to withstand any new sanctions and challenged the reasonableness of Trump’s statement.
The reaction followed Trump declaring that he would levy “secondary tariffs” up to 100% if Russia does not sign an agreement to stop the Ukraine war in 50 days. The Kremlin reacted cautiously but firmly, with authorities indicating that the remarks seem to target personally President Vladimir Putin.
Lavrov Speaks from SCO Summit
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in China, Lavrov took Trump’s comments head-on. He stated, “We want to understand what the US President is moved by.” He stated further that Russia is ready to endure any new sanctions Washington might impose. “I have no doubt we will cope with new sanctions,” Lavrov asserted.
His declaration indicates that Russia does not regard Trump’s trade threats as a significant economic or diplomatic threat. Instead, it regards them as pressure maneuvers associated with Trump’s domestic political rhetoric.
Trump’s Secondary Tariff Threat
On Monday, Trump warned that unless Russia agreed to end the Ukraine war within 50 days, he would impose severe tariffs, potentially up to 100%, on Russian goods. “We’re very, very unhappy with them,” he said. “Tariffs at about 100 per cent — you’d call them secondary tariffs.”
Trump further said, “I don’t want to call him an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” about President Putin. His remark elicited biting reactions from Moscow and heightened diplomatic tensions.
Moscow Rejects Ultimatums
Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russia would reject demands presented in the guise of ultimatums. “Any attempts to make demands — particularly ultimatums — are unacceptable for us,” he told the state news agency Tass.
The Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, also shared the sentiment and referred to the remarks as very serious. “The most recent words of the US president are extremely serious. Something in them personally perturbs President Putin,” Peskov said in a news conference.
Peskov further added that it would take Russia time to “study the rhetoric coming from Washington,” hinting at other official comments possibly coming after internal discussions.
Rising Pressure Amid War Fatigue
Based on US estimates as reported by Reuters, 1.2 million persons are either dead or injured in the war up to this point. Neither of them, however, has issued full data on casualties.
Trump’s comments are seemingly a push for speeding up the diplomatic conclusion to the war, but his approach can deepen Moscow’s resistance instead of bringing it to the negotiating table.
Diplomatic and Economic Fallout
Russia’s adamant dismissal of Trump’s threat and its willingness to soak up more sanctions indicate that the threat of retaliatory tariffs might not yield quick dividends.
With the conflict in Ukraine continuing and diplomatic avenues closing off, the next few weeks will challenge Washington’s will as well as Moscow’s response strategy.
