Authorities in Moscow criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on Wednesday, accusing him of disregarding international trade rules and raising concerns about the risk of a global trade war.
Trump’s tariffs took effect Wednesday, targeting dozens of economies including China, which retaliated with an 84% tariff on U.S. goods. The escalating dispute has rattled markets worldwide.
The imposition of tariffs “demonstrates that Washington no longer considers itself bound by the norms of international trade law,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a televised briefing in Moscow.
Russia has bolstered ties with China since launching its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but is also seeking rapprochement with the United States and hopes to secure the rollback of Western sanctions.
Moscow has largely avoided direct criticism of Trump since his return to the White House in January, hoping to gain U.S. backing for a peace deal in Ukraine favorable to Russia.
But officials have begun voicing concern, particularly over falling oil prices — a key source of state revenue — since the tariff hikes were announced.
“Any shock to the world economy, threatening a slowdown in growth and the general decline in consumption, has a negative outlook on lots of global processes,” Zakharova said. “The situation raises all the more serious concern when we are talking about two of the world’s major economies.”
Russian Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina also warned of “significant risks” from the escalating trade tensions.
“It is still very difficult to judge where they will lead the world economy and how it will affect Russia. It is a new significant risk that we must consider,” she told lawmakers in a parliamentary hearing.
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