‘Ukraine situation just a pretext’: Putin slams steps against ‘countries with economic ties with Russia’; argues against tariffs, sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed the Ukraine conflict as a mere “pretext” used by Western powers to impose broader punitive measures against countries engaged in strong economic relations with Moscow.Speaking to the media after concluding a four-day visit to China, Putin argued that recent trade restrictions and tariffs were being justified under the Ukraine narrative but, in reality, pursued unrelated political and economic agendas. “The Ukraine situation is only a pretext to take various steps against countries that have economic ties with us,” he said, according to ANI.He pointed to tariffs imposed on Brazil earlier in August as an example of trade penalties that had no direct link to the Ukraine conflict. Putin said the actual reasons behind these measures were economic imbalances between the West, particularly the United States and major economies like India, China and Brazil.“There is a trade disproportion between the United States and India or with China, but there is no situation between Brazil and the United States, for example. And, by the way, Brazil faced additional tariffs on the 6th of August, even though the deadline was the 8th of August. So what does Ukraine have to do with this? Nothing. It's only about domestic politics... Ukraine doesn't have anything to do with that. So, of course, there is some imbalance in trade, but I believe that those should be addressed through negotiations," the Putin added.The Russian President’s remarks come at a time when Washington’s tariff policies have heightened global trade tensions. India, in particular, faces uncertainty after the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on imports, alongside an additional 25 per cent linked to its purchase of Russian crude oil. Washington has argued that India’s crude imports indirectly support Moscow’s war effort.In the same press briefing, Putin also said he remained open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, provided such a meeting was well-prepared and aimed at achieving a constructive outcome. “If Zelenskyy is ready, he can come to Moscow. This is quite possible,” he said, while reiterating Moscow’s opposition to Ukraine’s Nato membership but showing less resistance to its European Union ambitions.Meanwhile, frustration has been rising in Europe over Moscow’s stance. As per news agency AFP, European leaders are gathering in Paris with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to push for stronger security guarantees for Kyiv, warning that Russia remains unwilling to strike a peace deal. French President Emmanuel Macron said allies were ready to offer guarantees “the day that a peace accord is signed,” while Ukraine’s foreign minister dismissed Putin’s Moscow invitation as “knowingly unacceptable.”