Russia’s Minister for Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, has criticised actions by the United States that he said were restricting global trade, as G20 officials met in Milwaukee for a two-day gathering.
Trade ministers were meeting in the US under the shadow of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Reshetnikov appealed to the White House to help preserve the international trade order, warning that it was at risk of collapse.
Warning over trade rules
Reshetnikov said international frameworks were being dismantled as countries sought to protect their economies. He argued that the process appeared to be moving away from broader international arrangements and towards bilateral deals.
“In an effort to protect their economy, the rules are being dismantled, perhaps in an attempt to establish new ones. But the new rules remain unclear for now,” Reshetnikov said.
He also described what he said was a shift towards stronger countries exercising greater influence in trade relations.
“For the time being, it’s more a matter of dismantling all international frameworks that hinder the conclusion of deals, shifting toward a logic of bilateral relations, and exercising the right of the strong,” he said.
Disagreement over meeting priorities
Washington’s agenda for the discussions included eliminating forced labour, refraining from weaponising food trade and addressing industrial overcapacity. Reshetnikov dismissed those agenda topics while making his broader criticism of US trade policy.
Some G20 member countries planned to use the talks to diversify their trade away from the United States in an effort to avoid Trump’s tariffs. The source report did not identify the countries involved or establish whether such measures had been adopted.
Reshetnikov said Russia understood efforts to restrict trade particularly well because, in his words, “they are trying in every way possible to restrict our trade.”
His comments represented Russia’s assessment of the direction of international trade rather than an independently confirmed finding about the future of the global trading system. The gathering’s exact date was not specified.
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