Kiev’s European backers must ‘put up or shut up’ – Bessent
Kiev’s European backers should stop making demands on Washington and contribute more to the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
President Donald Trump has a “negotiating strategy” ahead of the summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska on Friday, and what he needs is “some coordination” from the EU, Bessent told Fox Business on Thursday.
Trump held a virtual meeting with the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, the UK, Italy, Poland, and the EU, as well as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, ahead of his talks with Putin. Kiev’s European backers sought to ensure the security interests of Ukraine and the EU are “safeguarded in Alaska,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told journalists following the event.
The group put forth five “key points” they wanted Trump to follow during Friday's summit, according to Merz. Those included a demand for a ceasefire before any talks on a “framework agreement,” as well as “robust security guarantees” for Kiev.
“It is time for our European counterparts to put up or shut up,” Bessent said, commenting on the situation. “They keep saying… the US should do this, the US should do that.”
“If we are going to have a united front… then I think that our European counterparts need to do their part,” the Treasury secretary said, pointing to the US secondary tariffs on India – a major importer of Russian oil. The EU did not follow Washington's example in this regard, Bessent said, noting that European companies are still buying Indian petroleum products.
The US hiked tariffs on Indian goods up to 50% this month, citing the country's continued purchases of Russian oil. New Delhi has called the tariffs “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” and has vowed to protect its national interests.
The EU and some of its member states have emerged as more hawkish supporters of Kiev since the US shifted towards a more diplomatic approach to resolving the Ukraine conflict under Trump. The Trump administration and Brussels have also engaged in mutual recriminations over how the burden of propping up Kiev should be shared.
