Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by sharing a screenshot of him covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Fox News in 2022 to call him out after he refused to "characterize" what happened.
Earlier this month, Hegseth reaffirmed his stance on the terms of a potential Ukraine-Russia peace deal, stating that his role was to "introduce realism to the conversation."
His remarks sparked strong backlash from NATO allies and even some members of his own party. However, Hegseth dismissed the idea that he had softened his position during a press conference with Poland’s defense minister.
He asserted that Ukraine would not regain all of its lost territory from Russia and would not be granted NATO membership, which would have served as the ultimate security guarantee against future aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Hegseth also made it clear that NATO would not participate in any potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Instead, European and other nations would be responsible for such efforts, with Europe bearing the financial burden. He emphasized that no American troops would be involved in the operation.
And he continued beating that drum in a Sunday appearance on Fox News in which he declined to blame Russia for the ongoing war, which kicked off three years ago after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion:
“I don’t need to get into the characterization of we know who invaded who. We understand the stakes of this game … Does all the finger-pointing and pearl-clutching make peace more likely?”
Hegseth's comments quickly caught Duckworth's attention—and she responded by sharing an image of him hosting a Fox News segment in March 2022 under the chyron “Tracking Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.”
Duckworth said:
“Hegseth says he doesn’t know if Russia invaded Ukraine. This you?”
You can see her post and the photo below.
Fox News
Many joined her in criticizing Hegseth.
The U.S. voting against the UN resolution this week condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine has revealed some serious divisions between the White House and the UK, which supported the resolution. Despite the U.S. opposition, the resolution still passed with 93 votes to 18, reaffirming the UN’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House to sign a preliminary deal giving the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical raw materials in exchange for potential future aid.
The agreement doesn’t offer clear security guarantees, which Zelenskyy plans to push for, but it does propose a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund. This fund would manage revenues from Ukraine’s natural resources, like oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, with the goal of reinvesting in Ukraine’s recovery and development.
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