US Treasury Secretary states Kiev’s European supporters should ‘put up or shut up’

(MENAFN) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged European nations supporting Kiev to step up their contributions instead of relying on Washington to take the lead. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, Bessent said President Donald Trump has a clear “negotiating strategy” ahead of his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin but needs “coordination” from the EU.

Ahead of the talks, Trump held a virtual meeting with leaders from Germany, Finland, France, the UK, Italy, Poland, the EU, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the group outlined five demands for Trump to raise at the summit, including a ceasefire before any framework deal and “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine.

Bessent pushed back, criticizing European governments for making demands of Washington while failing to match its actions. “It’s time for our European counterparts to put up or shut up,” he said, noting that while the US has imposed steep secondary tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, European companies continue importing Indian petroleum products.

Earlier this month, the US raised tariffs on Indian goods by up to 50% over its continued energy ties with Moscow. New Delhi has rejected the measures as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” vowing to defend its national interests.

MENAFN16082025000045015687ID1109935670