US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Vladimir Putin that the US and its allies will “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” if it does not come to the table to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at a meeting of Nato defence ministers held in Brussels, he said: “If we must take this step, the US War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.
“Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table,” Mr Hegseth said.
Donald Trump is said to be “optimistic” about ending Putin’s war in Ukraine after his successful ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, Trump claimed that Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and the US president said he would try to get China to do the same.
