Nothing new in Trump's threat of sanctions and tariffs, says Kremlin

The Kremlin said on Thursday it saw nothing particularly new in a threat by US President Donald Trump to hit Russia with new sanctions and tariffs if it did not agree to end the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump had often applied sanctions against Russia in his first term as president. Peskov reiterated that Russia was ready for an equal and mutually respectful dialogue with the US.

Referring to Russia and the war, Trump said on Wednesday: "If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries."

Trump said he would do a very big favour to Russia and President Vladimir Putin by getting them to bring an end to "this ridiculous war". Earlier this week, he said the conflict, which is nearing the end of its third year, was "destroying" Russia.