Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth admitted that Russia is the aggressor in that country’s three-year-old war against Ukraine even as he refused to state that it was in America’s interest for Ukraine to win the war and for Russia to lose.
Hegseth, who appeared before the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee to defend his department’s fiscal year 2026 budget planning, was asked by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell — the subcommittee chair and former Republican leader —to identify the “aggressor” and “victim” in the conflict, which started in February 2022 when Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine with the aim of toppling the democratically-elected government in Kyiv.
Though the defense secretary has often hedged or demurred when asked similar questions, Hegseth replied: “Russia is the aggressor.”
But he declined to say that Ukraine was a “victim” in the war and instead insisted that American interests would be served by the war coming to a close without specifying under what circumstances.
“As we've said time and time again, this President is committed to peace in that conflict. Ultimately, peace serves our national interests, and we think the interest of both parties, even if that outcome will not be preferable to many in this room and many in our country,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth’s concession that it was Russia that started the war comes after weeks of frustration on the part of President Donald Trump on account of his failure to broker any manner of ceasefire or peace agreement in the conflict, which he once claimed he could solve within a day — and even before taking office.
But the Fox News weekend host turned defense chief declined to state whether there has been a solid return on investment for the billions of dollars worth of military aid provided to Ukraine, which has been used by Kyiv’s forces to inflict significant damage on Russia’s military.
Hegseth instead boasted of Trump’s decision to provide Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine during his first term and credited those weapons with blunting Moscow’s advance during the initial part of the invasion in 2022.
He claimed that a negotiated peace — even one that benefits Russia — would “make America look strong” and make the U.S. “look like we understand the state of the world and where we want to be focused.”
“Even if we understand that Russia is the aggressor and we applaud the efforts of the Ukrainians, there is a moment where you have to recognize what exists on the battlefield and that a better outcome is a negotiated peace to stop the killing and stop the slaughter,” he said.
