US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth drew attention with an unexpected wardrobe choice during the meeting between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky – a tie in the colors of the Russian tricolor flag. According to footage broadcast by American television networks, Hegseth sat to Trump’s left, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as the president’s national security advisor, positioned between them. To Trump’s right sat Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Besent. Hegseth’s tie, featuring bold white, blue, and red stripes arranged in the same order as the Russian flag, stood out among the otherwise restrained attire of the American delegation.
However, this stylistic choice sparked a flurry of reactions and speculation on social media, with some viewing Hegseth’s wardrobe choice as a “subconscious statement” regarding Washington-Moscow relations.
Or maybe he was wearing the colors of America https://t.co/K1zNmVIAA5
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 18, 2025
Russian news agency TASS notably commented that “Hegseth’s tie, with wide stripes of white, blue and red in the order of the Russian flag, stood out from the otherwise austere appearance of the American delegation.”
Meanwhile, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev posted a photo of the American secretary accompanied by a Russian flag.
“Looks like the Russians like his tie,” journalist Ron Filipkowski wrote on X. “It’s not red-white-blue either. It’s red-blue-white. Like the Russian flag. For a meeting with Zelensky.”
Looks like the Russians like his Russia tie. It’s not red-white-blue either. It’s red-blue-white. Like the Russian flag. For a meeting with Zelensky. pic.twitter.com/0EYim0kgcM
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 18, 2025
“The problem with the Trump administration isn’t its Russian ties, but its ties to Russia,” commented Garry Kasparov, a well-known critic of Vladimir Putin:
