Pete Hegseth’s choice of clothing made an interesting statement during Friday’s high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Zelensky.
The Secretary of War drew attention with a strong fashion choice: wearing a tie in the colors of the Russian tricolor, which caused some confusion online about what the motive of the clothing choice could be.
In footage of the event, Hegseth can be seen seated to Trump’s left, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio between them. Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were seated to the right of the President.
The tie Hegseth wore featured the colors white, blue, and red, forming stripes arranged in the same order as on the Russian national flag. The loud print stood out among the clothing of other guests at the meeting, as compared to Hegseth, everyone else wore typically understated colours.
Ukraine activist Joni Askola wrote on X, “Hegseth wore a tie with Russian flags to meet with Zelensky. Is he trying to send a message, or is he just an ignorant idiot? Or did his actual boss, Elbridge Colby, ask him to do it?”
“Omg, the three most popular flag colors on one tie. Thanks for uncovering this shocking conspiracy,” came one reply.
Journalist Caolon Roberston also said, “A russian flag tie. At the White House. To meet Zelensky. American politicians like Hegseth know exactly what message they’re sending. They don’t hide the fact that they are on the Kremlin payroll and completely compromised. They are traitors.”
As many pointed out online, the United States’ own flag includes the same colors, but this particular sequence and design strongly resemble the Russian flag. Others also pointed out that the colors were more like those of the Dutch flag.
Meanwhile, President Trump described his meeting with Zelensky on social media as “very interesting and cordial” while advocating for a ceasefire agreement between the parties.
Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv and Washington “will not publicly talk about long-range missiles”.
“We decided that for now we will not publicly talk about long-range missiles, as the U.S. does not want escalation,” Zelensky informed reporters late Friday afternoon. “We’ve decided to focus more on weapons production.”
This statement follows hints from both leaders about a potential arms sales deal, which could involve the exchange of U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles for Ukrainian drones.
“The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was very interesting and cordial, but I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing and make a DEAL!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He continued, “Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts. They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide! No more shooting, no more Death, no more vast and unsustainable sums of money spent. This is a War that would have never started if I were President. Thousands of people being slaughtered each and every week – NO MORE, GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILIES IN PEACE!”
