财政部长斯科特·贝森特周日表示，总统特朗普并未通过即将生效的对俄制裁豁免向俄罗斯提供制裁缓解，此举是在达成一项允许俄罗斯向美国和全球市场输送柴油的协议之后。NBC新闻记者克里斯汀·韦尔克在《面对全国》节目中追问贝森特特朗普的制裁豁免问题，并询问俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京“到底做了什么才值得现在获得制裁缓解”。
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said President Trump did not provide Russia with sanctions relief by waiving sanctions against Russia set to take effect soon, afterg off on a deal that allows Russia to permit diesel into the U.S. and global marketplace. NBC News's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" pressed Bessent on Trump's waiver and asked what Russian President Vladimir Putin has "done to deserve sanctions relief now." "Well, first of all Kristen, that’s not true.
“嗯，首先克里斯汀，这不是真的。周五没有解除任何制裁。没有解除任何制裁，”贝森特回答。韦尔克问美国对俄制裁是否会被解除。“我们有60天的时间来审视目前的情况，”财政部长说。“唯一被解除的是柴油禁运。我还要指出——英国在5月份豁免了由俄罗斯原油生产的柴油和喷气燃油的禁运。所以，你知道，世界其他地区对这件事的愤怒在哪里？”
No sanctions were lifted on Friday. No sanctions were lifted," Bessent answered. Welker asked if U.S. sanctions on Russia will be lifted. "There is a 60-day period so we can examine what’s going on," the Treasury secretary said. "The only thing that has been lifted is the diesel embargo. And, I will point out –– the U.K. in May waived their embargo on diesel and jet fuel made with Russian crude. So, you know, where’s the outrage for the rest of the world?"
贝森特指责乌克兰的欧洲伙伴“在为俄罗斯的战争机器融资”，并补充说，欧洲国家从俄罗斯进口的产品价值是美国的10倍，而美国从俄罗斯进口的产品价值为40亿美元。他说，称美国在俄乌冲突中站在俄罗斯一边是一种“错误的二元对立”，而美国自2022年俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以来一直承诺支持乌克兰。当韦尔克问美国是否仍是乌克兰的盟友时，贝森特表示特朗普希望结束战争。
Bessent accused Ukraine's European partners of "financing the Russian war machine," adding that European countries import 10 times more than the $4 billion that the U.S. imports from Russian products. He said it was a "false binary" to say the U.S. is siding with Russia in its war with Ukraine, which the U.S. has pledged support for since Russia invaded in 2022. When asked by Welker if the U.S. is still an ally to Ukraine, Bessent said Trump seeks to bring the war to an end.
而[乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔]泽连斯基今天早上提出了一种错误的二元对立，即乌克兰必须获胜，”贝森特说，指的是韦尔克 earlier 在节目中对泽连斯基的采访。“战争必须结束，这将通过某种形式的谈判解决实现，而特朗普总统每天都在为此努力。他自上任以来一直在这么做。”韦尔克连续两次向贝森特提出同样的问题，促使贝森特说：“我不是国务卿。我也不是总统。”特朗普上个月正式签署了一项制裁法案成为法律。
And [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky presents a false binary this morning that Ukraine must win," Bessent said, referring to Welker's earlier interview with Zelensky in the broadcast. "The war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement, and President Trump is working on that every day. He’s done it since he came into office." Welker asked Bessent the same question two more times, prompting Bessent to say that "I'm not the secretary of state. I’m not the president." Trump officially signed a sanctions package into law last month.
它旨在通过对俄罗斯最大能源买家以及帮助该国规避制裁的实体征收关税，向克里姆林宫施压，以结束其对乌克兰多年的军事行动。该豁免是在柴油交易之后作出的，柴油交易是政府为降低燃油价格所作努力的一部分，而燃油价格在美国对伊朗的战争背景下有所上升。柴油交易和豁免均发生在11月中期选举前几周。但特朗普的交易引发了两党国会议员的反对。
It seeks to put pressure on the Kremlin to end its years-long military operations against Ukraine by imposing tariffs on top Russian energy purchasers and those who help the country evade sanctions. The waiver comes after the diesel deal, part of the administration's efforts to lower fuel prices, which have risen amid the U.S.’s war in Iran. Both the deal and the waiver come weeks before the November midterm elections. But Trump's deal sparked backlash from bipartisan members of Congress.
五名共和党议员与他们的民主党同事一起谴责了这一减免。贝森特也被抄送，国务卿马尔科·卢比奥同样被抄送，议员们的信件敦促特朗普重新考虑。其中一名议员、众议院外交事务委员会前主席、迈克尔·麦考尔众议员（共和党-得克萨斯州）单独表示，他理解特朗普降低柴油价格的意图，但他表示“担心”该交易“只会助长克里姆林宫的暴力和破坏”。
Five Republican lawmakers joined their Democratic colleagues to denounce the relief. Bessent was copied, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the lawmakers' letter urging Trump to reconsider. One of the lawmakers, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said separately that he understands Trump's intent to lower diesel fuel prices, but said he was "concerned" that the deal "will only fuel the Kremlin's violence and destruction."