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US Def Sec Pete Hegseth wears tie in Russian colours in Trump-Zelensky summit

US Def Sec Pete Hegseth wears tie in Russian colours in Trump-Zelensky summit

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on as unseen US President Donald Trump meets with unseen Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)

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U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stirred controversy after wearing a tie resembling the Russian flag during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. The wardrobe choice drew online backlash amid ongoing US-Ukraine-Russia tensions.

Amid a lot of formal suits, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's fashion choice specifically stood out during the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The tie featured bold stripes of white, blue and red arranged in the same sequence as that of the Russian flag.

Similar colours are also present in the US flag, but the arrangement of them is in the same manner that raised some eyebrows on Social Media, whether this was just a random fashion choice or a deliberate statement with any hidden message.

One Ukrainian commentator reacted on Social Media, "Hegseth wore a tie with Russian flags to meet with Zelensky. Is he trying to send a message, or is he just an ignorant idiot? Or did his actual boss, Elbridge Colby, ask him to do it?".Russian commentators were also quick to pick up on the nonverbal cues. One user commented, “Also, those stripes are unusually wide for a tie. I think he had it custom-made.” Another user interpreted it not as support of Russia but as opposing Zelensky.

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"A russian flag tie. At the White House. To meet Zelensky. American politicians like Hegseth know exactly what message they're sending. They don't hide the fact that they are on the Kremlin payroll and completely compromised. They are traitors," said the reporter Caolon Roberston.

There was another weird occurrence, like a HuffPost journalist asking, “Who chose the location of the Trump and Putin meeting in Budapest?” and White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt responding, “Your mom did that”. It seems like US President Donald Trump, his team also have some weird quirk.

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Kushal Deb

Kushal Deb is a mid-career journalist with seven years of experience and a strong academic background. Passionate about research, storytelling, writes about economics, policy, cult...Read More