U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned Russia that Washington and its allies would “impose costs” if Moscow refuses to end its war in Ukraine, as he pressed NATO partners to increase military support for Kyiv through a new U.S.-led funding mechanism.
Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO headquarters, Hegseth declared that the U.S. War Department was prepared to act decisively if necessary.
“If we must take this step, the United States stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do,” he said, without elaborating.
The warning came as President Donald Trump’s administration considers a Ukrainian request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, a move that could significantly expand Kyiv’s strike capabilities.
“Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table,” Hegseth said, adding: “This is not a war that started on President Trump’s watch, but it will end on his watch.”
Hegseth urged allies to strengthen their contributions to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a program that has replaced direct U.S. arms donations with a cost-sharing mechanism requiring allies to purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine.
“You get peace when you are strong,” he said. “Not when you wag your fingers, but when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that $2 billion had already been pledged under the PURL program but acknowledged the amount fell short of the $3.5 billion sought by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by October.
New commitments from Sweden, Finland, and Estonia were announced Wednesday, but major powers such as France and Britain have yet to contribute.
“Now is the time for all NATO countries to turn words into action,” Hegseth said. “There are no free riders.”
According to Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Western military aid to Ukraine fell by 43% in July and August, underscoring donor fatigue as the war drags into its fourth year.
The institute said most new aid now flows through the PURL framework, with Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden already participating.
Ukraine remains heavily reliant on U.S. and NATO-supplied weapons as it prepares for another difficult winter. Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, more than three and a half years into its full-scale invasion.
Hegseth’s comments signal Washington’s growing impatience with Moscow, and a renewed push to ensure that Western allies sustain, and even expand, their support for Kyiv until peace negotiations can begin.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
