US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin assured President Donald Trump at a cabinet meeting that sanctions were ready to be put in place if Brunson was not released.

“We have more that we are planning to do if they don’t release him quickly,” Mnuchin said during the meeting, Reuters reported.

Trump said during the cabinet meeting that Turkey had not proven to be a “good friend”.

“They have a great Christian pastor there. He’s an innocent man,” Trump added.

The US president also tweeted that the United States “will pay nothing” for Brunson’s release, “but we are cutting back on Turkey!” He called Brunson “a great patriot hostage.”

US Vice President Mike Pence warned Turkey on Wednesday not to test the resolve of US President Donald Trump on the case of Brunson.

Tensions between the two NATO allies have been strained amid Turkey’s detention of Brunson. Turkey has accused Brunson of backing a coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan two years ago. The US pastor denies the charges.

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