Washington — The United States has once again called on European nations to adopt tougher measures against Russia. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that unless Russia’s economy is brought under pressure, President Vladimir Putin will not come to the negotiating table.
In an interview with NBC News, Bessent described the war in Ukraine as “a race of two kinds” — on one side, how long the Ukrainian army can continue to fight, and on the other, how long the Russian economy can withstand the strain.
According to him, imposing additional tariffs and sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil would shake the Russian economy to its core. “Such steps would compel Putin to negotiate,” he said, while stressing that Washington alone cannot achieve this goal and that united action from European partners is essential.
Bessent’s remarks were also linked to Washington’s recent move against India. The Trump administration imposed a steep 50 percent tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil — one of the heaviest economic penalties ever levied by the United States.
His comments came just hours after Russia launched its largest airstrike since the start of the invasion in 2022. The assault killed at least four people and set fire to a government building in Kyiv.
Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, strongly condemned the attack, saying, “This in no way signals an effort to seek a diplomatic solution to the war.”
