‘More’ secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil can damage Moscow's economy: U.S. Treasury chief

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday (September 7, 2025) said that the Russian economy will “collapse” if Washington and the European Union impose more secondary sanctions on countries that buy crude oil from Moscow.

Mr. Bessent, in an interview with NBC News, said that President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance had a very productive call with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who followed up with a call with him on Friday (September 5, 2025) and they discussed what the U.S. and European Union (EU) could do to put more pressure on Russia.