Trump Advisers Refrain from Labeling Russia as Aggressor in Ukraine Conflict

Two senior advisors to President Donald Trump refrained from labeling Russia as the aggressor in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine during recent television appearances, Bloomberg reports.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz both addressed the issue on Sunday, emphasizing the administration’s focus on diplomatic efforts to achieve a peace agreement, which could be jeopardized by assigning blame.

On Fox News Sunday, Hegseth questioned whether focusing on assigning blame would facilitate peace negotiations. When asked if it was accurate to state that Russia allegedly initiated the conflict in Ukraine in 2022 without provocation, Hegseth described the situation as “very complicated.”

Waltz also refrained from naming Russia an aggressor, choosing instead to contrast President Trump’s approach with that of former President Joe Biden.

These comments come after President Trump’s recent remarks indicating a shift in US policy toward Ukraine, with the president criticizing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and attributing blame for the conflict to both Zelensky and former President Biden.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US will propose a United Nations resolution on Monday aimed at “charting the path to peace.”