<h1>Minister says bilateral ties strained by trade red lines, inconsistent energy sanctions, rejected third-party mediation; tariffs imminent</h1> A senior government minister said the bilateral relationship with another major power is strained by three legal-political issues: ongoing trade negotiations where the government insists on 'red lines' to protect farmers and small producers against tariff or market-opening demands; contested energy-sanctions measures and extra tariffs tied to purchases of a third country's crude, which the government argues are applied inconsistently across trading partners; and rejection of external mediation in bilateral security disputes with a neighboring state, citing a long-established national consensus. Additional punitive tariffs are scheduled to take effect imminently.