Russian Official Shares Photo of US Defense Secretary's Tie Amid Coded Message Allegations

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked controversy by wearing a red, white, and blue striped tie during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, which was interpreted by some as resembling the Russian flag. Kirill Dmitriev, a top Kremlin official and Putin's Special Envoy, publicly applauded Hegseth's choice on social media, adding a Russian flag emoji and referencing the QANON conspiracy theory slogan 'Where We Go One, We Go All' (WWG1WGA), while mocking Vice President JD Vance's claim that the tie represented American colors. This incident drew criticism and was seen by some as a tacit signal to Russia, especially amid tensions over U.S. military aid to Ukraine and allegations that President Trump had deferred to Putin by refusing to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Zelensky. Experts expressed skepticism about the notion that Hegseth was overtly signaling to Russia, describing such claims as too obvious to be a genuine Russian asset's tactic. The situation highlights ongoing scrutiny of the Trump administration's perceived ties and approach to Russia during high-stakes negotiations over the Ukraine conflict. Additionally, Pentagon sources noted that Hegseth has been under considerable stress, impacting his demeanor during this period.