Russia says BRICS cooperation ‘never has, never will be' directed against 3rd countries

ISTANBUL

Russia on Monday said cooperation within BRICS “never has and never will be" directed against third countries, as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on nations aligning with the economic bloc.

As the BRICS summit began in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, Trump warned that any country that aligns itself "with the anti-American policies” of the economic bloc will face an additional 10% tariff, writing on Truth Social that “there will be no exceptions to this policy.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing that Moscow has seen Trump’s statements.

Responding to a question on the matter, he defined BRICS as an association of countries sharing “common approaches and a common worldview of how to cooperate based on their own interests.”

“This interaction within BRICS has never been and will never be directed against third countries,” Peskov said.

The two-day 17th BRICS summit began on Sunday, where Russia is being represented by a delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The acronym BRICS represents the bloc's original five members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The organization has expanded since last year with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia as full members.