US looking at more sanctions on Russia,says Scott Bessent

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that all options were on the table regarding sanctions on Russia for its continued war in Ukraine. "He has, in a despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign. So, I think with President Trump, all options are on the table — and I think we'll be examining those very closely this week," Bessent told Fox News. Bessent expressed confidence that Washington and New Delhi could resolve ongoing strains. However, he criticised India’s continued purchases of Russian crude, which he said risked fuelling Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Bessent downplayed concerns about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping."This is a longstanding meeting, it's called the Shanhai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and I think it's largely performative," he said. "I think at the end of the day, India is the most populous democracy in the world. Their values are much closer to ours and to China's than to Russia's." He added, "And look, these are bad actors ... India is fuelling the Russian war machine, China is fuelling the Russian war machine... I think at a point we and the allies are going to step up." Bessent cited slow progress in trade negotiations as a key reason for Washington’s decision to raise tariffs on Indian goods.