US presses G7 to tighten measures against Russia

Washington, Sep 13 (IANS) The US pressed its G7 partners to adopt tougher measures against Russia, urging them to impose tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil.

In a joint call with G7 finance ministers, US Ambassador Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on Friday, echoed President Donald Trump’s demand that allies step up efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues, which Washington says are fuelling the war in Ukraine.

“Only with a unified effort that cuts off the revenues funding Putin’s war machine at the source will we be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end the senseless killing,” Greer and Bessent said in a statement after the call.

The officials said the US has already moved ahead with punitive tariffs on nations that continue importing Russian oil, describing the policy as a cornerstone of Trump’s strategy to force Moscow to the negotiating table. They urged other G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom — to follow suit.

Greer and Bessent also welcomed commitments by G7 counterparts to strengthen existing sanctions and to explore redirecting frozen Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s defence.

“Thanks to President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States has already taken dramatic action against the purchasers of Russian oil,” the statement said. “We are encouraged by the assurances of our fellow G7 nations that they are committed to ending this war, and we are hopeful that they will join us in taking decisive action at this critical time.”

The appeal comes amid ongoing debate within the G7 over how far to go in tightening sanctions without triggering broader energy shocks, particularly in developing countries still dependent on Russian supplies.

Trump on Friday also announced that he will be hitting Russia “very hard” with economic measures, including tariffs.

“It'd be hitting very hard on with sanctions to banks and having to do with oil and tariffs also,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

--IANS

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