US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told NATO defense ministers that the United States, along with allies, will take steps to punish Russia if the war in Ukraine does not end soon.
"The space for peace must open now. If this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, together with our allies, will take the necessary steps to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression ," Hegseth said at the meeting in Brussels.
He added that, if necessary, “the U.S. War Department stands ready to do its part in ways that only the United States can do.”
Hegseth also emphasized that the United States sees a strong NATO and a reliable Ukrainian army capable of self-defense as the most effective deterrent to Russian aggression.
"In cooperation with our European allies, under the unwavering leadership of President Trump, we will end the war in Ukraine. The war must end," he concluded.