Bessent Denies Lifting Russian Sanctions After Trump Waiver
(MENAFN) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Washington had not removed any sanctions imposed on Russia, defending President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend the introduction of additional punitive measures amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“No sanctions were lifted on Friday,” Bessent said, explaining that the administration had been granted 60 days to assess the circumstances.
“The only thing that has been lifted is the diesel embargo,” he added, maintaining that existing US sanctions against Moscow remained in force.
Bessent argued that Trump had maintained pressure on Russia, citing restrictions targeting the country’s two largest energy companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.
“President Trump sanctioned the two largest Russian energy companies ... which was a catastrophic blow to the Russian energy industry,” he said.
His comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warning that any formal alignment between Washington and Russian President Vladimir Putin would constitute a “historic mistake.” Zelenskyy nevertheless expressed hope that Trump would reconsider his approach.
“We want to trust him,” Zelenskyy said in an earlier interview, cautioning that Ukraine would face a difficult situation if the United States and Russia joined forces against Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president also reported a temporary disruption in US intelligence sharing, alongside restrictions affecting satellite communications that Ukraine relies on to defend itself against Russian attacks.
“No sanctions were lifted on Friday,” Bessent said, explaining that the administration had been granted 60 days to assess the circumstances.
“The only thing that has been lifted is the diesel embargo,” he added, maintaining that existing US sanctions against Moscow remained in force.
Bessent argued that Trump had maintained pressure on Russia, citing restrictions targeting the country’s two largest energy companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.
“President Trump sanctioned the two largest Russian energy companies ... which was a catastrophic blow to the Russian energy industry,” he said.
His comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warning that any formal alignment between Washington and Russian President Vladimir Putin would constitute a “historic mistake.” Zelenskyy nevertheless expressed hope that Trump would reconsider his approach.
“We want to trust him,” Zelenskyy said in an earlier interview, cautioning that Ukraine would face a difficult situation if the United States and Russia joined forces against Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president also reported a temporary disruption in US intelligence sharing, alongside restrictions affecting satellite communications that Ukraine relies on to defend itself against Russian attacks.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment