Further sanctions, military action possible if Russia refuses peace deal, US VP Vance says

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that Washington is prepared to impose sanctions and potentially military action against Russia if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a peace deal guaranteeing Ukraine's long-term independence, according to his interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Vance did not rule out the deployment of U.S. troops but emphasized that this option would only be considered if Russia fails to negotiate in good faith to end the war.

The vice president added that the U.S. has both economic and military tools at its disposal to pressure Putin.

Vance noted that it is premature to discuss potential territorial concessions by Russia or security guarantees for Ukraine from the West, as these details need to be worked out during peace negotiations.

"There are any number of formulations, of configurations, but we do care about Ukraine having sovereign independence," Vance stated.

Previously, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Ukraine's return to its 2014 borders and NATO membership as unrealistic goals.

Later, Hegseth clarified that President Trump is negotiating with Putin from a position of strength and is not making concessions.

Special Representative Keith Kellogg also suggested that Ukraine might lose territories but stressed that these losses do not necessarily have to be recognized as "Russian."