The United States is prepared to tighten or ease sanctions on Russia depending on the outcome of negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent stated today.
Besent visited Kyiv last week, marking the first visit by a member of the new administration to Ukraine, as U.S. President Donald Trump claims he is “successfully negotiating to end the war with Russia.”
Since then, tensions have escalated between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, with Trump describing Zelensky as a “dictator” and accusing him of mistreating Besent.
EU’s New Sanctions Package for Russia: Import Bans on Primary Aluminum, Chromium, Chemicals
The European Union is also preparing a new sanctions package aimed at Russia, which includes bans on importing primary aluminum, chromium, and certain chemicals. These sanctions are part of efforts to further pressure Russia’s economy.
U.S.-Ukraine Economic Cooperation
Besent’s trip to Ukraine was part of a broader effort to strengthen economic ties between the U.S. and Ukraine. He signed an “economic cooperation agreement” to allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources in exchange for continued American support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression.
“President Trump had a very elegant plan,” said Besent. “The idea was to strengthen economic relations between the two countries to ensure the American public understands the U.S.’s interest in supporting Kyiv.”
Tensions Between Trump and Zelensky
Besent also criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky’s speech at the Munich Security Conference last Saturday, describing many of his remarks as “inappropriate.”
In his speech, Zelensky urged European allies to act more decisively to prevent a “backdoor deal” that the U.S. might make behind Ukraine and Europe’s back.
Trump responded by stating that Besent was “treated quite harshly” in Ukraine, as they essentially told him “no,” while Zelensky “was sleeping and couldn’t meet with him.”
Despite the tensions, the meeting between President Zelensky and U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent did take place on February 12, with several photos from the meeting published.
