OREANDA-NEWS U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, said on Wednesday that the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Russia is still an option, but he warned Congress about the potential unintended consequences of such a move.

"We have all options on the table," he said. "The Ministry of Finance is prepared to take action to promote a long-lasting and sustainable peace. We already have existing US sanctions and export controls in place against Russia, and they remain in effect and continue to be enforced. I'm aware of the proposed legislation (on new sanctions - ed.) and I would encourage Congress to continue to give the administration room to maneuver in order to maintain negotiations. However, we must be mindful of the potential consequences of such an action."

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported on June 6 that the Trump administration was seeking to weaken a new bill on sanctions against Russia from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is listed in the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist. The newspaper reported that the White House feared that tougher sanctions would damage Trump's efforts to establish a dialogue with Moscow and end the Ukrainian conflict. The document in question involves the introduction of restrictions on key Russian officials and sectors of the economy, as well as sanctions on countries cooperating with Moscow.