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Russian diplomat castigates Trump's remarks about potential WTO pullout

Maria Zakharova recalled that many countries over the decades had reformed their economies to meet the WTO’s criteria

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

ORENBURG, August 15. /TASS/. Statements by US President Donald Trump on Washington’s possible withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) are irresponsible and may impact the quality of life for people throughout the world, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

She was speaking at the Eurasia Global international youth forum.

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Potential US pullout from WTO would cloud organization’s survival, Kremlin cautions

The Russian diplomat recalled that many countries over the decades had reformed their economies to meet the WTO’s criteria. Furthermore, the fates of individuals hinge on each economy, she stressed.

"How can someone act so recklessly like using a mere counting frame - or not even a counting frame but some sticks from primitive tribes - in order to decide the destinies of the world with it? It’s unacceptable," Zakharova said, excoriating the White House occupant’s remarks.

On Tuesday, August 13, when speaking to workers at a Shell petrochemical complex underway in Pennsylvania, US President Donald Trump said that the US "may leave the WTO" if "we have to."

The American president was confident that for many years other countries, including China, used the global trade body to their advantage against the United States. However, Trump noted that things have changed under his presidency.

Earlier, the US commander-in-chief repeatedly slammed the WTO saying that he was ready to order Washington to pull out of the organization if it does not clean up its act.

The World Trade Organization, located in Geneva, Switzerland, was established on January 1, 1995 and is based on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947. More than 160 countries are WTO members. Russia joined the organization in 2012.

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