Hegseth, Waltz avoid naming Russia as aggressor in Ukraine

María Paula Mijares Torres, Bloomberg News on Feb 23, 2025

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Two of President Donald Trump’s top advisers declined to describe Russia as the aggressor in the war in Ukraine, as the administration seeks Vladimir Putin’s support for a peace deal.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz both avoided direct answers in television interviews on Sunday, portraying the question as a distraction from Trump’s diplomacy.

“My question is, does all the finger-pointing and pearl-clutching make peace more likely?” Hegseth said on "Fox News Sunday."

Asked whether it’s fair to say that Russia attacked Ukraine without provocation in 2022, he said, “Fair to say it’s a very complicated situation.” Pressed on the point, he acknowledged there was “an invasion into Ukraine” without naming Russia.

Trump made it clear last week that he has all but abandoned years of U.S. support for Ukraine, deriding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while seeking to blame him and former U.S. President Joe Biden for Russia’s invasion.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will propose a United Nations resolution on Monday that will “chart the path to peace.” As of Friday, the U.S. draft didn’t condemn Russia for the invasion and drops references to Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Waltz demurred when asked to acknowledge Russia as the aggressor against Ukraine and instead launched into comparison of Trump and Biden.

Trump is “the dealmaker-in-chief,” Waltz said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “He’s the commander-in-chief. And it’s only because of his strength that we’re even in this position.”

Trump’s stance has raised suspicion among U.S. foreign-policy hawks and NATO allies that he’ll force Ukraine to accept Putin’s terms, including a permanent Russian occupation of Ukrainian land.

“Essentially, this is President Trump surrendering to the Russians,” Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said on ABC’s "This Week."

Military lawyers

Hegseth defended plans announced Friday to replace the top lawyers for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force as part of a purge that included firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and replacing him with a retired three-star general whom Trump has praised for years.

“Status quo hasn’t worked very well at the Pentagon, it’s time for fresh blood,” Hegseth told Fox News.

He said the process of replacing the three military lawyers, or judge advocates general, would be opened to a broad, “merit-based process.”

“Ultimately, we want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice and don’t exist to attempt to be roadblocks to anything, anything that happens in their spots,” Hegseth said.

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