(Washington, 8th) U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said on Sunday (September 7) that Washington is prepared to "increase pressure on Russia," urging Europe to also take action to truly force Moscow to the negotiating table.
According to Reuters and AFP, Bessent said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that U.S. President Trump and Vice President Vance had a "very productive conversation" with European Commission President von der Leyen on Friday (September 5), and he also spoke with von der Leyen.
Bessent said: "We are discussing what the EU and the U.S. can do together. We are ready to increase pressure on Russia.
"We need our European partners to follow our lead, because if the U.S. and the EU join forces, we will enter a contest to see how long the Ukrainian military can hold out and how long the Russian economy can endure."
Trump has threatened to punish countries that buy Russian oil in order to cut off a key source of funds for President Putin's war effort, but so far, Trump has only imposed sanctions on India.
Bessent said: "If the U.S. and the EU can impose more sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, the Russian economy will completely collapse. This would force President Putin to come to the negotiating table."
When Trump took office as president in January, he said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly, but now he is frustrated by his inability to stop the war.
On the weekend, Russia launched its largest drone and missile attacks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. Among them, for the first time, the Ukrainian government building in Kyiv was hit, resulting in three deaths, including one infant, and dozens injured.
According to Reuters and AFP, Bessent said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that U.S. President Trump and Vice President Vance had a "very productive conversation" with European Commission President von der Leyen on Friday (September 5), and he also spoke with von der Leyen.
Bessent said: "We are discussing what the EU and the U.S. can do together. We are ready to increase pressure on Russia.
"We need our European partners to follow our lead, because if the U.S. and the EU join forces, we will enter a contest to see how long the Ukrainian military can hold out and how long the Russian economy can endure."
Trump has threatened to punish countries that buy Russian oil in order to cut off a key source of funds for President Putin's war effort, but so far, Trump has only imposed sanctions on India.
Bessent said: "If the U.S. and the EU can impose more sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, the Russian economy will completely collapse. This would force President Putin to come to the negotiating table."
When Trump took office as president in January, he said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly, but now he is frustrated by his inability to stop the war.
On the weekend, Russia launched its largest drone and missile attacks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. Among them, for the first time, the Ukrainian government building in Kyiv was hit, resulting in three deaths, including one infant, and dozens injured.