US Treasury Secretary admits EU sanctions against Russia have failed
Iran Press TV
Monday, 24 November 2025 6:42 AM
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent says the European Union's sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict have proven ineffective and failed to weaken Russia as intended.
During an interview on Sunday, Bessent said, "The Europeans ... they tell me they are passing the 19th round of sanctions. In my view, if you have to repeat the same action 19 times, then you have failed."
On October 23, the EU unveiled its 19th package of measures against Russia, targeting banks, crypto platforms, Indian and Chinese companies purchasing Russian oil, as well as Moscow's diplomats.
Russia says Western attempts are futile and ultimately harmful to those imposing them, stressing that its economy has adapted while EU states face rising energy costs, internal strain, and declining strategic autonomy due to their dependence on Washington's directives.
The strategy has also revealed widening fractures within the bloc, with countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, urging Brussels to abandon its confrontational posture and instead pursue dialogue and realistic diplomacy.
His remarks reflected Washington's belief that Europe has failed to shape events on the ground or influence Moscow's decisions.
EU states are "the real laggards," Bessent said, recalling how European officials informed him of their latest sanctions plan while simultaneously worsening the situation by financing Ukraine's military operations.
Earlier this week, US Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the EU's handling of the Ukraine conflict, calling Brussels' expectations unrealistic.
"There is a fantasy that if we just give more money, more weapons, or more sanctions, victory is at hand," he said.
In mid-November, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted that America was "running out of things to sanction" in Russia after Washington blacklisted oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft, a move he said was carried out at the request of Kiev and its EU allies.
The conflict in Ukraine began in 2022 after years of Western political and military interference in Kiev that fostered regional instability along the Russian border and ultimately compelled Moscow to act to secure its interests.
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