U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has repeatedly avoided giving a clear answer three times when asked whether Ukraine is a U.S. ally. Amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine over military intelligence sharing and Starlink service restrictions, he also emphasized that the war must be brought to an end through negotiations.

On the 18th (local time), appearing on an NBC public affairs program, Secretary Bessent sidestepped direct questions regarding whether Ukraine is considered a U.S. ally.

When the host repeated the question, Bessent responded, "We are providing three different things to Ukraine. That is what we do for an ally. We do not provide those things to Russia."

The three forms of support he mentioned included military intelligence sharing, providing Starlink’s military-grade service "Starshield," and allowing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to purchase U.S.-made weapons to resell to Ukraine.

However, when the host asked for a third time whether Ukraine was an ally, Bessent replied, "I am not the Secretary of State. I am not the President."

He also revealed disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over how the war should end. Addressing Zelenskyy’s earlier interview remarks suggesting that Ukraine must win, Bessent criticized him, saying, "President Zelenskyy presented a false dichotomy this morning that Ukraine must win."

He continued, "President Trump wants this war to end, and has made it clear that the war must stop. The war must end, and it will be achieved in some form through a negotiated settlement." He added, "President Trump is working toward this every day."

Recently, the U.S. and Ukraine have been at odds over energy-related ceasefire issues with Russia. While President Trump announced last weekend that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt attacks on energy facilities, Ukraine suspended its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for a few days before resuming refinery attacks, claiming that Russia failed to uphold the agreement.

Furthermore, Ukraine claims that the U.S. has cut off previously provided military intelligence sharing regarding Russian attacks and restricted the connection speeds of the Starlink service used by the Ukrainian military for drone tracking and defense.

Refuting these claims, Bessent stated, "President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have firmly stated that no one in the Trump administration did such a thing," adding, "I think it is very reckless for President Zelenskyy to make such claims."

He also criticized the passive attitude of European countries toward supporting Ukraine. "When President Zelenskyy asked for Patriot missile systems, NATO's European members had plenty of Patriots in their possession," Bessent sharply noted. "Why are they not readily providing them?"

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]