US defense secretary warns Russia of consequences if it fails to end war

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said Washington will take action against Russia if it does not end its war on Ukraine in the near future.

Source: The Hill, citing Hegseth at a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, as reported by the European Pravda

Details: Hegseth warned that if no progress is made towards peace in Ukraine, the United States will begin to ramp up pressure on Russia.

Quote: "If there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. 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."

More details: Hegseth added that the best deterrent against Russian aggression is a "lethal, capable and European-led NATO" and stressed that a "combat credible" Ukrainian army must be able to continue defending itself and "thereby continue to deter Russian aggression along NATO's border".

Hegseth's comments come amid discussions over whether the US might supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, a topic expected to feature prominently in talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump on 17 October.

Background:

• Politico, citing a White House official, reported earlier that US President Donald Trump is "optimistic" about the possibility of achieving peace in Ukraine following the successful signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages.
• On 15 October, NATO Secretary General announced that over half of the Alliance's members have joined the initiative to buy weapons for Ukraine from the United States.

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