The US Secretary of Defense recognizes Russia as the aggressor, but does not support Ukraine’s victory.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, speaking in front of a Senate committee, stated that Russia is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine. However, he refused to directly support Ukraine’s victory, noting that in his opinion what is the best for US interests is a peaceful settlement, “even if such an outcome will not be acceptable to many in this room.”

“We are now in a situation where Vladimir Putin knows that President Trump is a strong leader. He knows that his word carries weight. And as a result, a peaceful settlement in Ukraine demonstrates the strength of America, shows that we understand the state of the world and where we should focus,” he noted.

During his speech, Hegseth called on Europeans to spend more on their own defense and emphasized that the war in Ukraine with US participation is beneficial only to China.

Republican senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham criticized Hegseth for this position.

“It seems quite clear to me that America’s reputation is at stake. Will we defend democratic allies from authoritarian aggressors? We don’t want a headline at the end of this conflict that says Russia wins and America loses,” said McConnell.