Bessent Tells Russia: No Relief Until Ukraine War Ends — SkimNews
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- Bessent told Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov in a bilateral meeting at the G20 finance leaders gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, that no economic relief or other agreements were possible until Russia's war in Ukraine ends, and interrupted him with the line "nothing is possible until the war is over."
- A U.S. official said the meeting focused on Trump's peace plan for Ukraine; Russia's finance ministry said the two officials discussed financial cooperation within the G20 framework.
- Siluanov's first in-person G20 appearance since Russia invaded Ukraine irritated European officials who are working on additional sanctions against Russia.
- The U.S. sanctioned Russia's oil majors in October 2025, but after the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran cut off energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent issued licenses allowing the sale of seaborne Russian oil stored in tankers, sending some funds to Moscow.
- Russian strikes on Ukraine for a fifth straight day have left some supermarket shelves bare, per an embedded headline in the article.
Why it matters: Bessent refused any economic relief in person, but his October 2025 oil licenses allowed some seaborne Russian crude to reach market after Hormuz disruptions, sending funds back to Moscow. European officials drafting the next sanctions package now face a U.S. side that tells Russia "nothing is possible" while still licensing Russian oil sales.
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