The United States may impose stricter sanctions and consider deploying troops to Ukraine if Moscow refuses to engage in meaningful negotiations to end the war, US Vice President JD Vance has warned.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal ahead of a key diplomatic meeting in Munich, Vance stressed that “all options are on the table” should Russia reject talks conducted in good faith. He said Washington holds significant economic and military leverage to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into discussions that guarantee Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The vice president’s remarks come shortly after US President Donald Trump revealed he had held a “lengthy” phone conversation with Putin, during which they agreed to initiate peace talks immediately. The comments also signal a shift in US rhetoric, diverging from earlier assurances that American troops would not be sent to Ukraine. Just two days prior, at a meeting in Brussels, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly ruled out any US troop deployment, suggesting that European forces should assume any peacekeeping role. He also stated that Ukraine should abandon its ambitions to restore its 2014 borders, adding that NATO membership was unlikely as part of a war-ending settlement.

The potential use of military force, coupled with intensified sanctions and diplomatic efforts, indicates a new phase in US policy as Trump seeks to broker a deal nearly three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Trump has been candid about the possibility of negotiating territorial concessions, suggesting that Ukraine might ultimately lose regions occupied by Russia since 2014. This pragmatic—if controversial—stance has sparked concern in Europe, where leaders fear a settlement skewed in Moscow’s favour.

European officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have voiced unease over the US position. Macron described Trump’s return to the White House as an “electroshock” for Europe, insisting that Ukraine’s security must remain a European priority. He called on the EU to strengthen its defences while ensuring that Kyiv has a seat at the negotiating table to safeguard its independence.

The evolving US strategy has also unsettled officials in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that any agreement reached without Ukrainian participation would be illegitimate. Trump has since assured Zelenskiy that Kyiv will be part of the talks, but doubts linger over the potential territorial compromises. Zelenskiy had been scheduled to meet Vance at the Munich Security Conference, which began on February 14.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has cautiously welcomed the prospect of negotiations but has given no indication that it is prepared to cede occupied territory or revise its war aims. Putin's government maintains that the annexed regions, including Crimea, are part of Russia.