Dmitry Medvedev Photo: Alexei Maishev / TASS
Russia’s Security Council Vice Chairman Dmitry Medvedev reacted with satisfaction to the new tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, which on Thursday rocked global markets and shocked many of the US trading partners, including the European Union.
The former Russian president and prime minister invoked the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, saying that he expects to see the “decomposed corpse of the EU economy” floating on the water.
“Currently, Russia has almost no trade with the US and the EU, and almost all trade is under sanctions. However, our economy is now growing by 3%,” Medvedev wrote in a message posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
“We will follow Lao Tzu’s advice and sit by the river, waiting for the enemy’s body to float by. The decomposed corpse of the EU economy,” the Russian official added.
Dmitry Medvedev, who led Russia from 2008 to 2012, has regularly criticised the West since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sharply condemning the EU’s financial and military support for Kyiv.
The US imposes new duties – Russia is excluded from the list
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he would impose tariffs of at least 10% on almost the entire world, with one important exception: Russia.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told Axios that Russia was excluded because US sanctions “already prevent any significant trade”.
However, the official data cited by Axios and Fox News shows a different picture. The US continues to do more trade with Russia than with countries such as Mauritius or Brunei, which are on Trump’s list of tariffs.
The value of trade between the US and Russia did decline from around $35 billion in 2021 due to sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, in 2024, this figure was still around $3.5 billion.
In particular, exports of goods from the United States to Russia totalled $526.1 million in 2024, down 12.3% from 2023. Imports of goods from Russia to the United States reached $3 billion, down 34.2% year-on-year, according to Fox News.
Russian emissary’s visit to Washington
Trump’s announcement of the new tariffs and the removal of Russia from the list came on the same day that an important emissary of President Vladimir Putin arrived in Washington.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s emissary, met with US officials on Wednesday as the Trump administration considers expanding business with Moscow. Russia, in turn, has asked Washington to lift some sanctions as part of the US-mediated ceasefire talks in Ukraine.
The situation continues to evolve, with global markets reacting to new economic challenges posed by the US tariffs and Russian announcements.
