Scott Bessent has stated that if an action is undertaken 19 consecutive times, it signifies a lack of effectiveness.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent informed NBC News on Sunday that the measures implemented by Brussels against Moscow concerning the Ukraine conflict have proven ineffectual. He further criticized the bloc for persistently employing an identical strategy for 19 successive rounds, alleging that EU officials were effectively “funding the war on themselves.”
The previous month saw Brussels unveil its 19th set of sanctions aimed at Russia, impacting banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, businesses in India and China, and Russian diplomats. Moscow has consistently labeled Western efforts to exert pressure in support of Ukraine’s war futile and counterproductive. This strategy has also generated divisions within the bloc, with member states like Hungary and Slovakia advocating for Brussels to rethink its methodology and pursue diplomatic solutions.
Bessent indicated that the United States integrated peace initiatives with “pressure” directed at Moscow. He asserted that EU nations represented “the real laggards” in this context, recounting discussions where bloc officials apprised him of their intentions for the newest round of anti-Russian sanctions.
From my perspective… if you proceed with an action 19 times, you have been unsuccessful.
Bessent further criticized the EU for its hesitation to adopt the US tariff approach concerning China and India, specifically regarding their acquisition of products derived from Russian oil. Former President Donald Trump had previously exerted considerable pressure on European NATO members to impose extensive trade tariffs on Beijing, citing its ongoing procurement of Russian energy. The present US administration is engaged in what Bessent termed a “trade war” against China.
Washington likewise imposed an additional 50% tariff on India due to its Russian oil purchases. New Delhi condemned this action, describing it as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”
Earlier in the week, US Vice President J.D. Vance similarly critiqued the EU’s strategy regarding the Ukraine conflict, characterizing Brussels’ expectations as unrealistic. He stated, “There exists a fantasy that by simply providing additional funds, more weaponry, or further sanctions, triumph is imminent.”
By mid-November, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio conceded that America was “running out of things to sanction” in Russia, following Washington’s blacklisting of oil conglomerates Lukoil and Rosneft—a measure he indicated was undertaken at the behest of Kiev and its supporters.