Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed US President Donald Trump's latest threat of imposing 100 percent tariffs on Russia and its trading partners, saying Moscow is ready to endure any further economic pressure.
Commenting at a press conference after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers Council, Lavrov said that Russia already holds a record number of international sanctions and is certain it could deal with additional ones.
"The amount of sanctions declared against us is already record-breaking. We are managing; I have no doubt we will manage (with the potential US sanctions)," Lavrov said.
He supported his assertion with references to analyses by "many independent Western economists and politicians," who, he stated, have evaluated Russia's present economic resilience.
President Trump issued a warning last week that if Russia does not reach an agreement with the United States on the Ukraine conflict within 50 days, the US would issue tariffs of approximately 100 percent not just on Russian products but also on those from countries still trading with Moscow.
Responding to this, Lavrov questioned the clarity and consistency of the American president’s ultimatum. According to Russia’s Tass news agency, Lavrov remarked, “We would like to understand what is behind this statement after about 50 days. Earlier, there were also deadlines of 24 hours and 100 days; we’ve seen it all and really would like to understand the motivation of the US president.”
At the same briefing, Lavrov also emphasized a central resolution reaffirmed by SCO member countries: their ongoing support for Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful uses.
"We reaffirmed the commitment of our countries to respect Tehran's legitimate right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy," he added.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation now has ten members: Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. China currently has the rotating leadership of the coalition.
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