Republican Senator 'Disturbed' by Pete Hegseth's 'Rookie Mistake'

Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, said on Friday that he was "disturbed" by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's "rookie mistake" when the Trump administration official said it was "unrealistic" for Ukraine to gain back its pre-war borders in its ongoing war with Russia.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) via email for comment on Friday.

Why It Matters

It's been nearly three years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the conflict between the warring countries started in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.

U.S. President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to end the Russia-Ukraine war when he took office. After a phone call with Putin on Wednesday, Trump said Thursday that there was a "good possibility of ending that horrible, very bloody war." He said he also talked separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via phone on Wednesday.

Many criticized Hegseth's comments about Ukraine, saying he had given away too much leverage before peace talks officially kicked off. Wicker, who voted to confirm the defense secretary and is supportive of Trump, showed a willingness to criticize Hegseth and call out what he sees as a mistake.

What To Know

Hegseth said on Wednesday during a press conference at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels, "We will only end this devastating war and establish a durable peace by coupling allied strength with a realistic assessment of the battlefield."

He added that "returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective."

Wicker, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia, told Politico on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, "Hegseth is going to be a great defense secretary, although he wasn't my choice for the job," adding, "But he made a rookie mistake in Brussels and he's walked back some of what he said but not that line."

"Everybody knows...and people in the administration know you don't say before your first meeting what you will agree to and what you won't agree to," Wicker said.

Hegseth did walk back his comments on Thursday, telling reporters, in the president's "conversations with Vladimir Putin and Zelensky, what he decides to allow or not allow, is at the purview of President Trump."

"I'm not going to stand at this podium and declare what President Trump will do or won't do, what will be in or what will be out, what concessions will be made or what concessions are not made," the defense secretary added.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that it was not practical for Ukraine to join NATO—as it's been trying to do for years—and that it is unlikely that the war-torn country would get back the territory Russia has seized.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, "For the Senate, there is a strong majority, supermajority, in favor of supporting Ukraine, seeing this through and making sure that this does not come off as a win for Putin and embolden him further."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, "The Russian Federation does not want to end the war and continues to escalate global tensions. That is why U.S. military support is crucial for Ukraine. Only in this way can we achieve a just and lasting peace."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-controlled TV on Thursday, per Reuters, "One way or another, of course, Ukraine will participate in the negotiations," adding, "There will be a bilateral Russian-American track of this dialogue, and a track that will be related to Ukraine's involvement."

What Happens Next

Trump's phone call with Putin ended the U.S. effort in the war to isolate Putin while leaving Zelensky and Ukraine's European allies in the dark about the specifics of the discussion. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is currently at the Munich Security Conference but hasn't yet said anything about Trump's phone call with Putin.