US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened to make Russia pay for its continued aggression if the war in Ukraine is not ended, the BBC quoted him as saying.
Hegseth said the US and its allies would take the necessary steps to make Russia pay for its continued aggression.
"If we have to take that step, the US Department of Defense is ready to contribute in a way that only the United States can," Hegseth said at a meeting of the "Rammstein" Contact Group at NATO headquarters.
Earlier today, ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers, Hegseth urged alliance allies to increase spending on American weapons for Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier announced that the United States was prepared to impose sanctions on Chinese purchases of Russian oil.
In his statement, Bessent, like Hegseth, emphasized that the success of such a measure would depend on the support of European allies.