Russia speaks out after Trump gives BRICS ultimatum

(Dan Tri) - Russian officials commented on US President Donald Trump's warning that he would impose a 100% tax on the group of emerging economies (BRICS) if they created their own currency.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Photo: Reuters).

The Kremlin on January 31 dismissed US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on BRICS countries if they create their own currencies, insisting that the group has no such plans.

On January 30, Mr. Trump warned BRICS member countries not to use other currencies to replace the USD as a reserve currency, warning of imposing a 100% tax on this group if the above scenario occurs.

"The idea that the BRICS nations are trying to debase the U.S. dollar while we stand idly by is over. We will require these nations to pledge not to create a new BRICS currency nor to support any other currency to replace the mighty U.S. dollar," Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.

“BRICS is not capable of replacing the US dollar in international trade or anywhere else. Any country that tries to do this should say hello to tariffs and goodbye to the US,” he added.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that the BRICS group, of which Russia is a member, is not discussing the creation of its own currency but only the creation of common investment platforms.

"This is not the first time that Mr. Trump has made such statements, this is nothing new. There have been similar statements before, even when he was just president-elect. So, in fact, he is just repeating his old thesis," Mr. Peskov told reporters.

"Perhaps American experts need to explain in more detail to Mr. Trump the BRICS agenda," Mr. Peskov added.

In December last year, the Kremlin also said that any US attempt to force other countries to use the dollar would be counterproductive, after Mr Trump issued a similar warning to BRICS.

India, another BRICS member and one forced to use different currencies to buy Russian oil due to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, has also spoken out.

"BRICS takes decisions based on consensus. On the issue of the US dollar and the de-dollarization drive, our foreign minister has made it clear that we have no such policy or strategy," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on January 31.

The United States is now India's largest trading partner, according to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. New Delhi and Washington are in talks to arrange an early visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States to hold talks with Mr. Trump.

Initially, the BRIC group included only Brazil, Russia, India and China, but later expanded to include other countries.

The group does not have a common currency, but long-standing discussions about increasing trade in individual national currencies have intensified after the West imposed sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-len-tieng-sau-khi-ong-trump-ra-toi-hau-thu-cho-brics-20250201071148786.htm