US "won’t hesitate" to impose sanctions on Russia’s energy sector if it helps achieve ceasefire in Ukraine – Bessent
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington "won’t hesitate" to impose sanctions on Russian energy if it helps achieve a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
He said this during a speech at the Economic Club of New York, Censor.NET reports citing Bloomberg.
According to him, sanctions against Russia "will be used openly and aggressively to have immediate maximum impact" at the direction of US President Donald Trump.
Additional sanctions against Russia could give the United States more leverage in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine, Bessent said.
The US Treasury Secretary also criticized the previous administration led by Joe Biden for not tightening energy sanctions against Russia for fear of raising gas prices.
"What is the point of the substantial US military and financial support over the past three years without appropriate sanctions?" - Bessent asked during a speech at the Economic Club of New York.
The official also said that the United States would tighten sanctions against Iran, adding that the United States would "close" the country's oil sector using "pre-determined criteria and timelines" and that "Iran's repeated devastation will mark the beginning of our renewed sanctions policy."
