Washington, DC [US], July 8 (ANI): President Donald Trump believes BRICS is attempting to “undermine” the interests of the United States and is determined to ensure that America is treated fairly on the global stage, according to a statement from the White House.
Addressing a press briefing on Monday (local time), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump would take any necessary action to prevent nations from taking advantage of the United States and its citizens.
“The president feels, generally speaking, that BRICS is seeking to undermine the interests of the United States. It’s the president’s utmost responsibility to put the interests of the United States first. That’s how he views his job as president. So, he’s going to ensure that America is fairly treated on the world stage, and he’ll take any action necessary to prevent countries from taking advantage of the United States and our people,” Leavitt said.
She added that Trump is “closely monitoring” the ongoing BRICS Summit, expressing concern over what he views as attempts by these nations to weaken U.S. global standing. The 17th BRICS Summit, hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro from July 6–7, brought together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia.
“He’s closely monitoring it (the BRICS Summit), which is why he put out a statement himself. He does not perceive these countries as growing stronger. He just perceives them as trying to undermine the United States’ interests. And that’s not okay with him—no matter how strong or weak a country may be,” Leavitt emphasized.
Her remarks come in the wake of a strong warning issued by Trump against countries aligning with what he called the “Anti-American policies of BRICS.” In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump announced that any nation supporting BRICS’ agenda would face economic repercussions.
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Source: Truth Social – Donald J. Trump
Trump’s statement signals a firm stance by the U.S. administration against what it views as an emerging coalition challenging American influence.
The warning followed the joint statement issued by the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG), in which they expressed opposition to the unilateral imposition of trade and finance-related measures, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
“We voiced our serious concerns with the unilateral imposition of trade and finance-related actions, including the raising of tariffs and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules,” the statement read.
The BRICS FMCBG statement further emphasized cooperation among member nations and a commitment to an open, rules-based multilateral trading system centered on the WTO:
“In this testing environment, BRICS members have demonstrated resilience and will continue to cooperate among themselves and with other countries to safeguard and strengthen the non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable, transparent, and rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, avoiding trade wars that could plunge the global economy into recession or further prolong subdued growth.”
BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—along with several developing nations that have joined in recent years, now account for nearly half of the world’s population and around 40 percent of global GDP. The group also represents approximately a quarter of total global trade and investment flows.
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