Telling India, China to ‘stop doing what I don't like’ won't work: Russian foreign minister Lavrov blasts Trump tariffs

India and China are ancient civilisations that cannot be swayed by tariff threats, asserted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who believes that pressure from the US will only push both countries to seek alternatives.

Speaking on Thursday during The Great Game programme on Russia's main Channel 1 TV, Lavrov said that Washington is also beginning to understand the “futility” of using ultimatums while working out deals with India and China.

‘Forcing them to seek new markets’: What did Lavrov say?

“Both China and India are ancient civilisations. And talking to them like 'either you stop doing what I don't like or I'll impose tariffs on you' won't work," he said.

He added, “Ongoing contacts between Beijing and Washington, between New Delhi and Washington, show that the American side understands it, too.”

He pointed to the reaction of New Delhi and Beijing to the US demands.

“Besides the fact that this undermines the economic well-being of those countries, it at least creates very serious difficulties for them, forcing them to seek new markets, new sources of energy supplies, (and) forcing them to pay higher prices. But beyond this, and perhaps even more importantly than this, there is a moral and political opposition to this approach,” he added.

'Don't see problems with new sanctions on Russia'

Commenting on the threat of fresh sanctions on Moscow, Lavrov said Russia has already adapted to Western restrictions and that he sees no problem.

“Frankly speaking, I don’t see any problem with the new sanctions imposed on Russia. An enormous amount of sanctions, unprecedented for that period, were imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term,” Lavrov said.

“We have started to draw conclusions from the situation when the West imposed these sanctions. Later, during President Joe Biden’s term, sanctions were used as a replacement for any diplomatic effort. There was no search for a compromise,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)