Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg disclosed that the US Secretary of the Treasury told him sanctions on Russia are at a "six" on a scale of one to ten in terms of scope - but enforcement stands at only a "three." The revelation suggests the United States has substantial untapped leverage to pressure Moscow economically.

Kellogg shared the assessment during an appearance on PBS NewsHour's Compass Points, "Hvylya" reports. The full interview covers a wide range of topics from sanctions to battlefield dynamics. The former Trump special envoy argued that economic pressure, not military escalation, is the most effective path to ending the war.

"The way that President Putin pays his troops and funds the war is through petro," Kellogg explained. He pointed to the widening gap between Russian Urals crude, now trading at around $40 a barrel, and the Brent benchmark at $70. "It is a real problem for him," the retired general said.

Kellogg identified Russia's shadow fleet - tankers carrying illicit oil - as a key pressure point. He said he told European allies during a visit last week that "seventy percent of that comes through the Baltics. You can shut it down if you want to." When asked whether the US could seize Russian shadow fleet tankers, as it has done with Venezuelan and North Korean vessels, Kellogg confirmed it was possible through sanctions enforcement, involving both the US and its allies.

The economic dimension extends to Russia's domestic finances, Kellogg argued. Putin pays death benefits of $200,000 per soldier killed - an enormous sum for families in Russia's regions. "You get a babushka in east of the Urals - that is a whole life," he said. Analysts have noted that the war is already hollowing out Russia's regions, and cutting off the revenue stream funding these payments would further undermine the social contract sustaining the war effort. Meanwhile, Russia's growing technological dependence on China adds another dimension to its economic vulnerability.

Also read: "Time Is Working Against Moscow": Kofman Identifies the Critical Limit of Russia's War Machine