US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the US Senate Appropriations Committee:

◾"Russia is the aggressor."

◾"Ultimately, peace [between Ukraine and Russia] serves our national interests, and, we think, the interests of both parties, even if the outcome will not be preferable to many in this room and many in our country."

◾"Under the previous administration and the policies they pursued, it has driven Russia and China closer together. So there's no doubt that China would prefer that Vladimir Putin had a good outcome. But it would also prefer a prolonged conflict that would keep us and other countries tied down and incapable of paying attention to the malign influence of China elsewhere."
https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1932856181904617748
https://litter.catbox.moe/pgg23id37f5ryk0v.mp4