'Russian propagandist' — Bessent hits back as Kremlin envoy Dmitriev downplays US sanctions
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Oct. 26 called Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev a "Russian propagandist" after the latter claimed U.S. sanctions would not impact Russia's economy.
The statement comes as the Trump administration, for the first time, imposed fresh sanctions against Russia, targeting its leading oil companies.
Dmitriev, a Russian official who plays a key role in backchannel diplomacy between Moscow and Washington, visited the U.S. in the wake of the sanctions. Speaking to U.S. media, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) downplayed their impact, saying that "no pressure works on Russia."
"Are you really going to publish what a Russian propagandist says? I mean, what else is he going to say?" Bessent said in an interview with CBS News when asked about Dmitriev's comments.
"The Russian economy is a wartime economy. Growth is virtually zero," the secretary said, adding that the U.S. can make "a substantial dent" in Russian President Vladimir Putin's profits and push him to negotiations by targeting the oil sector.
The new U.S. sanctions, announced on Oct. 22, target Russia's two largest oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil, along with their subsidiaries.
The measures freeze all U.S.-based assets of the companies and open the door to secondary penalties on foreign institutions that conduct transactions with entities on the blacklist.
U.S. President Donald Trump took the step after the breakdown of preparations for a high-level summit with Putin in Budapest. Trump later said he would not meet his Russian counterpart without a clear path to a peace agreement in Ukraine.
The Russian leader called the sanctions an "unfriendly act" while declaring that Moscow would not yield to economic pressure.
Despite stalled negotiations, Dmitriev claimed on Oct. 24 that Russia and Ukraine are close to reaching a diplomatic settlement with U.S. mediation.
The comments coincided with fresh Russian missile and drone attacks against Kyiv and other cities over the weekend, resulting in dozens of casualties and damaged energy infrastructure.
Reuters reported on Oct. 25 that the Trump administration is already preparing new sanctions against Moscow unless Putin shows interest in meaningful peace talks.
