US weighs secondary tariffs on Russian oil buyers to pressure Moscow

U.S. officials said this week that the administration is prepared to tighten economic pressure on Moscow, including imposing secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, after Russia launched what Kyiv and Western officials described as the largest aerial assault of the war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that additional sanctions and tariffs, implemented in coordination with European partners, could push the Russian economy into collapse and force President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace settlement.

Bessent said Washington is ready to increase pressure but needs Europe to follow, adding that the contest has become a race between how long Ukraine's military can hold and how long the Russian economy can endure. "If the U.S. and the EU can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in full collapse and that will bring President Putin to the table," he said.

The comments came amid intense diplomatic activity in Washington on Monday, when U.S. Treasury officials met with a European delegation for less than two hours to discuss a range of measures, including tariff...