Pentagon chief candidate says whether US will help Ukraine under Trump presidency

Author:
Anastasiia Mohylevets
Date:

The US Senate held a confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. During the event, he, in particular, voiced his opinion on helping Ukraine in the war.

This is reported by The Guardian and CNN.

Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee questioned Hegseth about his qualifications. Independent Senator Angus King noted that the candidate did not mention the fighting in Ukraine in his opening remarks.

"This is a political decision at the presidential level. He has made it clear that he would like to end the conflict. We know who the aggressor is. We know who the good guy is. We want this to be as beneficial as possible for the Ukrainians. But this war needs to end," Hegseth replied.

He added that if the United States, under Trumpʼs presidency, deprives Kyiv of support, it will be the strongest signal to Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he will be able to annex Taiwan without significant resistance.

According to CNN, the Armed Services Committee may vote for Hegseth on January 20, after Donald Trumpʼs inauguration.

  • Pete Hegseth has previously attracted public attention with his harsh statements. In particular, he has been ready to purge the Pentagon. He has taken aim at the successor to military chief Mark Milley, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, asking if he would have gotten the position if he were not black.
  • The veteran sharply criticized America’s European allies, calling them “obsolete, unarmed,” and “impotent”. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he said, looked like “Putin’s give-me-back-my-shit war”.

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