Vice President JD Vance was quick to defend Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who wore a tie resembling the colors of the Russian flag during his meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, netizens have been comparing the colors of the two countries’ flags, and the colors on Hegseth’s tie look more on the Russian side. Over the past few months, Hegseth has voiced support for Russia and opposition to Ukraine.
In March, he had ordered the U.S. Cyber Command to stop the offensive operations against Russia. This was followed by dismantling the FBI’s ability to warn against the Russian agenda. Observing what they saw as subtle support for Russia, one X user commented, “Pete Hegseth showed up to the White House meeting today with President Zelensky wearing a Russian tricolor flag tie. These people love Putin and Russia.”
Vance replied to this, “Or maybe he was wearing the colors of America.” One user added, “Make the difference, but does Vance know the colors of the American flag??” along with photos of Russian and American color theme ties.
Some people defended Hegseth, saying the colors do resemble the American flag. Moreover, several X users pointed out Hegseth has worn this tie before, so this time it may also have been unintentional.
🇺🇸 Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth came to the Trump & Zelensky meeting wearing a tie in the colors of the Russian flag 🤭
White, blue & red colors are also present on the US flag, where they are considered national colors. However, Hegseth was sitting next to Zelensky.
Coincidence? pic.twitter.com/6Hy6aQisPx
— Roberto (@UniqueMongolia) October 18, 2025
One user compared the shades of blue and concluded that the blue in the American flag is darker and in the Russian flag it’s lighter. Another user pointed out the difference in color of his tie and his pocket square, which had an American flag.
Hegseth has clearly expressed his disapproval of Ukraine’s insistence on NATO protection. Meanwhile, the tension between the White House and Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained constant while he ignores the ultimatums over the conflict with Ukraine.
Hegseth’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war has been constant. Despite saying the war must end, he expressed that Kyiv joining NATO was unrealistic and that the US would not prioritize Ukraine’s security.
He said. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.” He also called Russia’s annexation of Crimea an unrealistic objective.
