Bessent states in Congress that he considers Putin war criminal

11:07, 08.05.2025 1 min read

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated during a hearing in Congress that he considers Vladimir Putin a war criminal, Kyiv Post wrote on Wednesday.

Bessent was specifically asked by Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee Task Force on Monetary Policy, during the Committee hearing, whether he would negotiate with a war criminal.

“I think that’s the nature of diplomacy when one must negotiate with both sides,” Bessent replied. “I believe that negotiation was needed with the Japanese after WWII.”

When asked directly if he considered Putin a war criminal, Bessent replied, “Yes.”

As reported, Bessent stated that US President Donald Trump intends to use the mineral agreement with Ukraine as a tool to pressure Russia, particularly in the context of peace negotiations, he said during a speech at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.