JD Vance has threatened military action against Russia as the US vice president seemingly adopts a tougher stance with Vladimir Putin that Donald Trump.

       Mr Vance told the Wall Street Journal that if the Russian president doesn't agree to a peace deal with Ukraine which guarantees the war-torn country's long-term independence, then Washington will hit Moscow with sanctions and potential military action.

       He said the option of sending US troops to Ukraine if Russia failed to negotiate a peace deal in good faith was still "on the table".

       Mr Vance's comments strike a tougher tone than that of President Trump, who this week upended years of steadfast US support for Ukraine by suggesting Kyiv should cede territory captured by Russia. Mr Trump also cast doubt over Ukraine joining the NATO military alliance.

       The US Vice President said there are economic and military "tools of leverage" the US could use against Putin, adding: "I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people."

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       Cold War historian, Professor Sergey Radchenko, said the threat of US troops in Ukraine was probably a bluff.

       He posted on X: "'US troops in Ukraine' is (very likely) a bluff on the part of JD Vance... It seems inconceivable that Trump - who has repeatedly suggested that he has no interest in such entanglements and would like Europe to take the lead - has changed his mind."

       The historian added that if the situation was looked at through Putin's eyes, it would show a US president who has "a certain proclivity for bull********" as a negotiating tactic, but who has never been comfortable with reckless military action "short of shooting a missile or two into a desert to show who's the boss".

       Professor Radchenko concluded: "If I were Putin, I'd say: hmmmm, right. You can have strategic ambiguity in these matters, but you also have to have a certain credibility, and Trump has not yet built up a reserve of credibility."

       Mr Trump brought Putin back in from the cold by sharing a 90-minute phone call with the Russian leader, after which the president said he wanted to work "very closely" with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

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       Observers in Europe hope Mr Vance will shed some light on Mr Trump’s ideas for a negotiated settlement to the war after the phone call with Putin.

       Mr Vance is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference today (February 14), which Mr Trump isn't attending.

       During his speech at the conference, Mr Vance lectured European officials on free speech and illegal migration, making only passing remarks about the war in Ukraine.

       He said the Trump administration believes a "reasonable" settlement can be reached between Russia and Ukraine.

       Mr Zelensky has said he will only agree to meet in person with Putin after a common plan is negotiated with Mr Trump.

       He also said he believes Mr Trump is the key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that the US president had given him his mobile number.