Russia wants to distance itself from US tariffs tensions: Kremlin

ISTANBUL

The Kremlin on Monday said it does not want to be associated or interfere with the tensions surrounding recent tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump on Canada, China, and Mexico.

On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, effective from 12.01 a.m. (0501GMT) Tuesday. Additionally, a lower 10% tariff will apply to energy resources from Canada.

Trump also announced a 10% tariff on Chinese imports.

“There are many tensions there. Therefore, we have no desire whatsoever to be associated with all this or to evaluate it in any way. Let the countries that participate in this process sort it out,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

There is currently no progress in organizing contacts between Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv with regard to the Ukraine war, Peskov noted, saying the situation on the ground shows that the dynamics of the conflict are not in Ukraine’s favor.

The spokesman further said there have been no serious discussions on who would participate in negotiations on a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Peskov argued that the idea of holding elections in Ukraine is an important matter “from the point of view of legitimizing the leadership” in Kyiv, but that "this is not to the liking of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."

Mentioning the visit of a Russian delegation to the Syrian capital Damascus late last month, Peskov also said Russia will continue negotiations with Syria on many issues, including the fate of its military base in the city of Tartus.