Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday (2) that if the US forces BRICS countries to use the dollar, it will only strengthen their trend towards using national currencies.
"If the United States uses force to mandate the use of the dollar, it will likely further accelerate the shift to national currencies," he stated.
This statement responded to US President-elect Donald Trump, who had previously threatened BRICS countries if they created a new currency to replace the dollar. The Republican threatened to impose 100% tariffs and ban "sales to the large US economy."
According to Peskov, more and more countries are using national currencies, and this trend is gaining momentum worldwide. Additionally, Putin's spokesman noted that the dollar, as a reserve currency, is beginning to lose its appeal.
"We're not just talking about BRICS countries; more and more nations are starting to use national currencies for external trade and economic activities. This is a process gaining momentum globally," he said.
According to him, the dollar as a reserve currency is beginning to lose its attractiveness for many countries. "This is a process of 'erosion' of the dollar's attractiveness; it is happening and gaining momentum," Peskov added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he considers it urgent to encourage the BRICS countries to use their national currencies for trade and investment. However, the Russian leader notes that it is too early to discuss creating a single currency for the group.
Trump's threats
Last Saturday (30), US President-elect Donald Trump used his social networks to threaten to impose 100% tariffs on the BRICS countries if the bloc adopts its currency or any other currency to replace the US dollar in its commercial transactions.
According to him, the United States will no longer "stand by" and "watch" as the BRICS countries attempt to abandon the dollar as the currency used in international trade transactions.
"We demand a commitment from these countries that they will not create a new BRICS currency, nor will they support any other currency to replace the mighty US dollar," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account, a platform maintained by the president-elect's communications conglomerate.
Edited by: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
