MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Wednesday it continues to monitor statements by US President Donald Trump regarding sanctions against Moscow, but that Russia had acquired immunity to such measures thanks to long experience.
One the other hand, Russia also expressed its concerns about the threat of new strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and said that a deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme could be reached through dialogue.
TRUMP THREATS
Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia in 10 days if Moscow showed no progress towards ending its more than three-year-long war in Ukraine.
“We have been living under a huge number of sanctions for quite a long time, our economy operates under a huge number of restrictions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“Therefore, of course, we have already developed a certain immunity in this regard, and we continue to note all statements that come from President Trump, from other international representatives on this matter.”
On Wednesday, Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India for “far too high” Indian tariffs and “obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers”. But he also said that New Delhi would face an additional penalty for weapon and energy imports from Russia.
Previously, Trump had warned Russia that he will impose “very severe” tariffs against Moscow’s remaining trade partners if it doesn’t resolve its war in Ukraine within 50 days.
Read more: Trump threatens ‘very severe tariffs’ on Russia allies if no Ukraine deal
Similarly, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the threat of new US sanctions “routine” and said it was odd that the US and the West had not yet understood that imposing such measures did not work and only served to hurt Western economies.
“We see that the West simply cannot let go of the issue of sanctions. It seems as if they are constantly stuck in a rut,” Zakharova told a news briefing in Moscow.
“Apparently, there are no other options left – they have been exhausted. We are responding and taking measures to counteract all of this or even turn it to our own advantage.”
IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME
“Regular threats towards Iran to launch new missile and bomb strikes on its nuclear facilities cannot but cause serious concern. The cynicism of such statements is added by the fact that they are made under the guise of imaginary concern for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” Zakharova told reporters.
Read more: Trump says he would consider bombing Iran again, drops sanctions relief plan
In this connection, she added, “Bombing nuclear facilities should not become commonplace, routine international practice. The catastrophic risks associated with this cannot be ignored, much less justified.”
Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran since the start of its war in Ukraine, and this year signed a strategic partnership treaty with the Islamic Republic.
Zakharova said a sustainable peace settlement and a promise not to conduct new strikes on Iran were prerequisites for normalising cooperation between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog agency.