US Defense Minister Reminds Russia Will Be Sanctioned If Ukraine War Continues

The impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine/PHOTO via X@ ZelenskyyUa

JAKARTA - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States and its allies would take the necessary steps to impose sanctions on Russia for its ongoing aggression if the war in Ukraine does not end.

"If we have to take this step, the US Department of War is ready to do our part in a way that the United States can only do," Hegseth said at a meeting of the Kyiv allied Ukrainian Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters.

President Donald Trump previously expressed his disappointment with President Vladimir Putin, who he said was not willing to end the conflict in Ukraine. Trump then alluded to the fragile economy of Moscow.

Russia then dismissed Trump's warning that the scarcity of gasoline fuel (BBM) showed Russia's economy was nearing collapse.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has confirmed the domestic gasoline supply is stable in Russia.

"We have a stable domestic market supply, we don't see any problems in this," Novak said.

"The balance between production and consumption is maintained, and we, from the government and the relevant ministries, are trying our best to ensure this is maintained," he continued.