Sovereign countries have right to choose trading partners: Russia backs India amid Trump’s tariff threat

Russia on Thursday slammed Donald Trump for “illegally” pressuring countries like India to cut trade ties with Moscow, after the US President threatened to impose excess duties on Indian goods for purchasing Russian energy.

“We hear many statements that are in fact threats, attempts to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legal,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“We believe that sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners, partners for trade and economic cooperation, and to choose for themselves the forms of trade and economic cooperation that are in the interests of a particular country,” he added.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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