US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that “all options are on the table” as the Trump administration weighs fresh sanctions on Russia in response to its intensified bombing of Ukrainian cities.
In an interview with Fox News, Bessent criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for escalating attacks despite recent high-level engagements, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Since the historic meeting in Anchorage and subsequent talks with European leaders and President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy at the White House, Putin has done the opposite of what he indicated he wanted to do. Instead, he has, in a despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign,” Bessent said.
He added: “With President [Donald] Trump, all options are on the table, and we’ll be examining those very closely this week.”
Trump, who met Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, said afterward that he would know within “two weeks” whether progress could be made toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war. He also warned that failure could trigger “massive sanctions or massive tariffs, or both.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that sentiment in a separate CBS interview, noting that while sanctions remain an option, their imposition could mean “the end of the talks.”
