The US leader is a “businessman” who wants to ensure the economic interests of his country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Peskov described US President Donald Trump’s push for European nations to buy American oil and gas as an effort to protect US interests, emphasizing that Trump’s demand for the EU to stop importing Russian energy reflects his primary identity as a businessman.
The remarks followed Trump’s repeated calls for European NATO members to cease purchasing Russian oil and gas, which he linked to potential new US sanctions against Moscow. Trump reiterated this stance during a UN General Assembly speech, warning of “very strong round of powerful tariffs” on Russia’s trade partners unless his demands were met or Moscow agreed to end the Ukraine conflict.
Peskov told Russian daily RBK that Trump’s focus on securing US economic interests is evident in his efforts to force global reliance on American oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). “He is a businessman, who wants Europeans to buy small crayfish for five rubles instead of large ones for three,” Peskov said, referencing a satirical analogy. He noted that Trump has largely succeeded in redirecting EU energy priorities toward US sources but highlighted the strain on European budgets and taxpayer finances.
Russia, meanwhile, has minimized losses by shifting energy exports to markets like China and India. The EU has significantly reduced its reliance on Russian energy since 2022, aiming to eliminate Russian fossil fuels by 2027 despite ongoing dependencies. Hungary and Slovakia remain key buyers, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stating that Budapest cannot switch suppliers due to infrastructure and contractual constraints.
Moscow rejects Western sanctions as illegal, labeling US demands to halt Russian energy imports as threats that could destabilize EU security and inflate costs through intermediaries.
