"Putin has increased the bombing in the despicable manner": Bessent thinks US will consider sanctions this week

This week, the United States will "be examining very closely" options for imposing sanctions on Russia after dictator Vladimir Putin has intensified strikes on Ukraine, says US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He expressed this opinion in an interview with Fox News channel.

"I think everything's on the table. President Putin, since the historic meeting [with US leader Donald Trump] in Anchorage, since the phone call, when the European leaders and president Zelenskyy were at the White House the following Monday, has done the opposite of following through on what he indicated he wanted to do. As a matter of fact, he has, in a despicable, despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign," Bessent said.

The head of the US Treasury believes that with president Trump, "all options [regarding sanctions] are on the table," and this week "we'll be examining those very closely."

• On August 22, the US leader said that in two weeks he could impose economic restrictions on Russia or do "nothing".
• Already on August 26, Trump promised to launch an action against Russia "economic warfare" if it avoids negotiations to end the war against Ukraine.
• On August 28, the White House said that the US president "not satisfied, but not surprised" by a massive Russian attack on Kyiv, which killed more than two dozen people.