US Treasury Secretary meets Ukraine’s prime minister, pledges stronger pressure on Russia
Editor's note: The article was updated with additional details.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on Oct. 14, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and long-term security.
Bessent praised Kyiv’s support for the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund and stressed the importance of regular high-level contacts as part of the bilateral partnership. The U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund is a mechanism through which the two countries coordinate private and public investments focusing on rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure and long-term economic recovery.
Bessent also reiterated that the U.S. will continue working with G7 partners to intensify sanctions pressure on Moscow, including measures against countries that help finance the Kremlin’s war by purchasing Russian oil.
The meeting comes as a Ukrainian delegation — also including top presidential aide Andriy Yermak and Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov — holds high-level talks with U.S. officials on defense, energy resilience, and sanctions.
"We are working in the United States together with the government team, the governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, and representatives of Naftogaz. We are taking part in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, with scheduled talks also involving the EBRD, the European Investment Bank, and finance ministers of the U.S. and G7," Svyrydenko said.
"Our priority, as mandated by the President, is energy, sanctions, and developing cooperation with the United States in new areas that can strengthen both our countries," she added.
Svyrydenko later wrote on Telegram that the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund has already begun its work, with the first pipeline of potential projects taking shape.
“We are focusing on priority projects in critical minerals, energy, and infrastructure,” she said, adding that Ukraine is a reliable partner for ambitious Ukrainian-American business projects.
She also highlighted discussions on energy security and sanctions coordination.
“Russia must lose any levers of influence over our partners or channels for earning money to continue its war against Ukraine,” Svyrydenko wrote, thanking Bessent for his readiness to work with G7 partners “to pressure the aggressor and other countries that sponsor Russian crimes through the purchase of Russian oil.”
The visit follows two consecutive calls between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky over the weekend, during which the two leaders discussed Ukraine's long-range capabilities and air defenses amid escalating Russian attacks.
"The ultimate goal remains unchanged – a just and lasting peace!" Yermak said earlier on X.
According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian delegation aims to negotiate the purchase of additional air defense systems as well as HIMARS rocket systems as part of a "Mega Deal" with Washington.
Kyiv has been calling upon foreign partners to help strengthen Ukrainian air defenses as Moscow escalates aerial attacks against Ukraine's energy grid. A mass strike on Oct. 10 temporarily knocked out the power supply in Kyiv and across Ukrainian regions.
Trump is expected to host Zelensky in Washington on Oct. 17, as the U.S. president announced that his team will focus on brokering peace in Ukraine following a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
