"I believe that if any officials in the Russian Federation are watching these hearings, they should know: if I am confirmed and if President Trump, as part of his strategy, asks to end the war in Ukraine, then I am 100% in favor of strengthening sanctions" – especially against Russian oil companies – "to a level that will force Russia to come to the negotiating table," he stated.
Bloomberg described Bessent's comments as some of the most forceful among all statements from Trump's team advocating for increased sanctions pressure on Moscow. According to individuals familiar with the situation, advisors to the elected American president are developing a comprehensive sanctions strategy to facilitate a diplomatic agreement between Russia and Ukraine in the coming months, the agency notes.
The magazine Forbes Ukraine reported that the potential head of the U.S. Treasury criticized the actions of the current American president Joe Biden's team regarding sanctions, calling them "not tough enough" and stating that they now "burden the new Trump team with higher energy prices."
"I believe that the previous administration was concerned about rising energy prices in the U.S. during the election season, and I am puzzled by National Security Advisor [Biden's Jake] Sullivan's move to intensify sanctions against Russian oil companies as he leaves his post," he said.