The US government will impose a substantial pickup in sanctions against Russia as the fighting in Ukraine continues, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bessent's comments came just before NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due at the White House, where he expressed hopes to discuss how to deliver Trump's vision of peace in the conflict.
Earlier in the day, Rutte stated that he believes that Trump is the only one who can get this done.
At least seven people were reported killed, including two children, during intense Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine—this occurring just hours after Trump announced that plans for a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest had been shelved.
Bessent provided no further details on the impending sanctions, but he mentioned they would be announced either after the close this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning.
US lawmakers, including Republicans, have been waiting for approval from the White House to vote on a bill imposing strict sanctions against Russia while also targeting countries that procure oil from the Kremlin.
During talks at the White House, Rutte was expected to discuss a 12-point plan put forward by European NATO allies and Kyiv, aimed at freezing current front lines, facilitating the return of deported children, and enabling prisoner exchanges between the warring nations.
This plan also envisions a recovery fund for Ukraine, security pathways, and a clear route for Ukraine's inclusion in the EU, alongside increased military aid for Kyiv and enhanced economic pressure on Moscow.
Earlier this week, Trump expressed he did not wish for a wasted meeting with Putin, pointing to Moscow's ongoing refusal to halt fighting along existing front lines.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was anticipated, but the White House later noted that a productive call between them made an in-person meeting unnecessary.
Trump previously supported proposals to freeze combat along current lines, stating, Let it be cut the way it is. I said: cut and stop at the battle line. Go home. Stop fighting, stop killing people. However, Russia has opposed this approach, maintaining its position about the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced a desire for long-range US Tomahawk missiles to be supplied to his forces, suggesting that this could compel Russia to return to negotiation tables.
