US treasury secretary agrees Putin is a war criminal, but says talks with him are necessary

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent agreed when asked on 7 May if he considered Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal.

Source: Kyiv Independent, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In response to a question from Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas, "Do you consider Vladimir Putin a war criminal?", Bessent answered "Yes".

These comments were made during Bessent's speech to the US Congress and his annual testimony in front of the House Committee on Financial Services.

When Vargas asked, "Would you negotiate with a war criminal?", Bessent replied: "I think that's the nature of diplomacy, one must negotiate with both sides, Sir".

Quote from Bessent: "I believe negotiation was needed with the Japanese after World War II."

Details: Bessent had previously been critical of Ukrainian leadership, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He suggested on 1 May resetting relations between Ukraine and the US after the signing of a bilateral mineral resources deal on 30 April.

Bessent stated that the previous administration led by former US president Joe Biden had provided assistance to Ukraine but imposed "very weak" sanctions against Russia.

Background:

• US Vice President JD Vance said he is "still optimistic" about the possibility of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, noting that Washington is now waiting for Kyiv and Moscow to agree to engage directly with each other.
• US President Donald Trump believes that Putin's proposal for a "three-day truce" is "a lot" compared to what happened before.
• He also suggested that the Russian leader has become more willing to make peace after the recent drop in oil prices.

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