U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took part in high-level negotiations in Miami on January 31 alongside Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, engaging directly with Russian officials. The talks, Bessent said, reinforced the administration’s strategy of using sanctions as leverage, not punishment. He argued that sanctions on Russian oil majors Rosneft and Lukoil helped bring Moscow to the negotiating table on Ukraine. In his Senate testimony, Bessent linked future sanctions decisions to diplomatic progress, saying further action would depend on “where the peace talks go.” His remarks underscore a coordinated approach that blends economic pressure with direct diplomacy, using sanctions selectively to shape negotiations rather than escalate tensions blindly.