Bessent Says Russian Economic Woes Can Bring Putin to Table (2)

The US and Europe are discussing a new round of sanctions and secondary tariffs on Russia, hoping that a Russian economic “collapse” will bring Vladimir Putin to peace talks with Ukraine, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

“We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our partners in Europe to follow,” Bessent said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. He said that President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, and she later spoke to Bessent about sanctions.

“We are in a race ...