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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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Oreshnik missile to go into serial production, Putin says

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"We know what kind of developments are being carried out there, but this will happen tomorrow or in a year or two, but we have such a system already today," the president said

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Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

Angela Merkel added that another fallacy was the belief that the status "would act as a deterrent," and that Moscow "would accept these developments without taking action"

Ukraine should consider territorial concessions to Russia in return for peace — magazine

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Putin says Oreshnik missile system cutting-edge innovation by Russia, not Soviet byproduct

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Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian Embassy in Helsinki has sent requests to clarify the situation

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Japanese government refrains from commenting on Russia’s latest hypersonic missile

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Ukrainian defense line in Donbass may soon collapse — expert

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Western countries should 'be afraid, tremble' after Putin's statement — lawmaker

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Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

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Viktor Orban recalled that Russia has "one of the most powerful armies in the world, which boasts the most advanced, most powerful weapons"

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Western air defense systems unlikely to intercept Russian missiles — France’s Le Monde

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Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

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Good relations between Moscow, Riyadh helping oil market stability — Medvedev

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Enemy has no countermeasures for Russia’s Oreshnik missile — Putin

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Russia’s steel production plunged in October — WSA

China produced 81.9 mln metric tons in October, up 2.9% on an annualized basis

US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention

Russian forces gain foothold in Chasov Yar’s industrial zone — expert

The units of the Ukrainian armed forces have created "a very serious defense line" along the railroad and along one of the streets of the settlement, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS

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Kurt Campbell said that it is important to 'keep attention on the horizon'

Russia’s re-election to UNCITRAL confirms its global reputation — Foreign Ministry

Russia got the support of 129 countries in a November 20 vote in New York at the 40th plenary session of the UN General Assembly

Diplomat mocks US Senator for talking about invading Netherlands

Maria Zakharova quoted the US Senator, who called the ICC a "Kangaroo court" and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan a "deranged fanatic"

Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

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Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

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Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

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Trump to tap Richard Grenell as US special envoy on Ukraine — agency

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Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

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Russian ambassador says UK prime minister doesn’t understand situation in Ukraine

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