US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the European Union’s sanctions policy against Russia has not achieved its goals, pointing out that the EU is already preparing its 19th package of restrictive measures.
According to Bessent, European partners have informed him of the development of another, 19th package of sanctions against Russia. “In my opinion, if you are doing something for the nineteenth time, it means you have failed,” the US Treasury Secretary said in an interview with NBC, noting that he considers the current EU measures to be insufficiently effective.
He also accused European countries of continuing to indirectly finance the Russian economy through energy purchases, despite the restrictions that are formally in place.
Bessent has repeatedly called on European countries to take tougher measures against Russian energy revenues, including the introduction of secondary tariffs and duties against buyers of Russian oil in third countries, arguing that it is precisely tough pressure on oil and gas revenues that can reduce Moscow’s resources for waging war.
