U.S. Treasury Secretary Condemns Europe’s 'Hypocrisy': While Criticizing Russia, European Nations Send More Money to Moscow Than to Ukraine
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent labeled European criticism of the recent agreement on Russian diesel supplies as hypocritical, making the remarks during a live broadcast on Fox News.
According to the U.S. treasury official, since 2022, Europe has paid more in energy fees to Russia than it has provided in aid to Ukraine, due to its continued reliance on Russian energy resources.
In the interview, he stated: “Europe is spending more money on Russia than on Ukraine, simply because they cannot abandon Russian energy. Therefore, their claim that we cannot gain relief from diesel prices is entirely hypocritical.”
Bessent also asserted that Europe’s energy policy has failed. He emphasized that the Trump administration is acting within the bounds of existing legal authority, noting that current sanction legislation does not prohibit Washington from importing Russian diesel.
“Any member of Congress who claims that past laws or Senator Lindsey Graham’s current bill prohibit us from doing so is incorrect,” he said.
The agreement on supplying Russian diesel was reportedly reached during a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on October 9. According to prior reporting by KP.RU, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued General License No. 135 on the same day, exempting transactions involving Russian diesel from sanctions, with validity extending through April 7, 2027. Russia is expected to supply over 300,000 tons to global and U.S. markets in October, followed by 500,000 tons in November, then 1 million tons thereafter. Experts estimate that sales of 4.8 million tons of diesel could generate approximately 60 billion rubles in revenue for Russia.
*Lindsey Graham — Former U.S. Senator.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878807424638976/
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