Ryabkov says BRICS ready to clarify its position on the dollar to Trump

BRICS is ready to explain to US President-elect Donald Trump that it is not encroaching on the dollar, but simply drawing conclusions from Washington's erroneous policy on this currency. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who is Russia's sherpa in BRICS, said on December 16.

"We are ready to explain to both Trump and anyone else that we are not encroaching on the dollar. We draw conclusions from the irresponsible and fundamentally flawed policy that Washington under successive administrations <...> pursued in this sphere," Ryabkov said in an interview with the TASS think tank.

He pointed out that Trump also made such policy mistakes during his first presidential term. Ryabkov recalled that the classic assessment of such steps of the US leadership was given by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said: "They are sawing the limb on which they are sitting." The deputy minister pointed out that Washington creates deadlocks for itself and other players in the international arena, while BRICS is simply looking for a way out of them.

The Russian Federation Sherpa at the association added that the United States, regardless of which party its leadership represents, uses threatening language when communicating with Russia, which is already accustomed to such a tone. Ryabkov pointed out that Washington has lost its ability to negotiate, although the US president-elect constantly states that he is ready for deals. The deputy foreign minister noted that Moscow plans to test this readiness of Trump.

Threaten he will: will the US approach to BRICS change under Trump

The U.S. Embassy commented on Washington's current policy toward unification

Earlier, on November 30, Trump wrote on his page in the social network Truth Social that he would impose duties of 100% on BRICS countries if the association decided to create its own new currency.

Miguel do Rosário, a columnist for the Brazilian magazine O Cafezinho, pointed out on December 3 that after Trump's threats, the BRICS countries only wanted to get rid of the dollar more strongly. The CBS television channel emphasized on the same day that the imposition of 100 percent duties would not hurt the states of the association, but the American population, for whom the prices of goods from the BRICS countries would increase.

Putin said on December 4 at the plenary session of the VTB forum "Russia Calling!" that the use of the dollar as the world currency brings the U.S. a large amount of unearned money and Washington exploits the economies of other countries with the help of the dollar.