The Kremlin has criticised US President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to tighten economic pressure on Russia through sanctions, arguing that Washington has no authority to penalise countries that continue trading with Moscow. It also accused the United States of weakening confidence in the dollar by using the currency as a geopolitical tool.
Speaking to India Today virtually ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described US efforts to pressure countries doing business with Russia as “illegal, unfair and unacceptable”. His comments followed the US Senate’s passage of a wide-ranging Russia-Iran sanctions bill that could expose major purchasers of Russian oil and gas to punitive tariffs.
Asked whether sanctions and threats of penalties against countries trading with Russia were being discussed as part of the Ukraine peace process, Peskov said Moscow considered such measures an unacceptable interference in its trade relations with partner nations.
“First of all, we, of course, we do not accept and we consider it to be illegal. Definitely illegal in terms of international law, any attempts to introduce limitations on international trade and to threaten other countries, third parties, for doing trade with others,” he told India Today.
“We consider it illegal, unfair, and unacceptable,” he added. Peskov acknowledged that sanctions remain part of the broader diplomatic discussions, but stressed that they were secondary to efforts aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.
“So, issue of sanctions is on the agenda. It is on the agenda. It is not in the front row because the settlement itself is issue number one, but it's an untakable part of the whole agenda of peaceful settlement around Ukraine,” he said.
His remarks came shortly after the US Senate approved the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an 86-11 vote on August 7. The legislation introduces primary and secondary sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions and the so-called shadow fleet, while also expanding sanctions against Iran.
Among its most significant provisions is the authority given to Trump to impose tariffs of as much as 100 per cent on imports from major buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, as well as nations helping Moscow circumvent sanctions. The measure carries particular implications for India, which remains one of the largest purchasers of Russian crude.
BRICS AGAINST NO ONE: PESKOV REJECTS TRUMP'S CLAIM
Trump has repeatedly portrayed BRICS as a threat to US financial dominance and has warned of steep tariffs against countries pursuing policies aimed at reducing dependence on the dollar. He has previously described BRICS as an “attack on the dollar” and cautioned nations against efforts toward de-dollarisation.
Responding to Trump’s claims, Peskov rejected the idea that BRICS was targeting the United States, saying Russia’s increasing use of national currencies was driven by economic necessity rather than an effort to challenge the dollar.
“It’s a very interesting question. Again, I will repeat, BRICS is against no one. BRICS is for participating countries, for their national interests,” he said.
Peskov said Russia was left with limited options after Western sanctions restricted its access to the dollar and euro.
“And Russia is one of the BRICS countries. And Russia was deprived of a right to use the American dollar and to use euro. So, it's a reserve currency, reserve currency for the whole world. And the United States have taken a decision to deprive us of the right to use this reserve currency.”
“What should we do? We should tell ourselves, why don't we use our own money? Is it worth an American dollar? No. To some extent, it is even better.”
He said Russia was consequently encouraging the use of national currencies when doing so aligned with its economic interests, rather than formally adopting a policy of de-dollarisation.
“It’s not because we are against the dollar. And we do not want to claim any de-dollarization policy. We're simply doing what better corresponds with our national interests.”
AMERICA IS RUINING TRUST IN DOLLAR: PESKOV
Peskov then turned the argument around, claiming that US sanctions were encouraging countries to explore alternatives to the dollar and eroding confidence in the currency’s position as the world’s reserve currency.
“So, and I would say that America is against dollar as a reserve currency, because if you want to ensure that your money is continue to be a reserve currency, you would never do a step like the one I mentioned.”
“So America is ruining trust in the US dollar, and the more trust is ruined, the more trust is going in favor of national currencies. So this is the process and this is the nature of the process,” Peskov said.
Russia has made significant progress in facilitating cross-border transactions in national currencies. According to Peskov, around 90 per cent of Russia’s payments with its BRICS partners are now carried out using national currencies. He emphasised that this shift should not automatically be viewed as an anti-US initiative.
PUTIN-MODI MEETING IN DELHI
The dispute over sanctions, energy trade and currencies comes days before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected trip to India for the 18th BRICS summit. Peskov also said Putin is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi bilaterally on Friday, September 11, on the sidelines of the summit.
The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that the BRICS leaders’ summit will take place in New Delhi on September 12-13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said he is looking forward to welcoming Putin to India for the gathering.
BRICS has expanded significantly beyond its original membership. The grouping now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with Ethiopia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE.
