U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth found himself in a tense exchange with Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell during a Senate Appropriations hearing on Tuesday.

The confrontation escalated quickly when McConnell questioned the Trump administration’s position on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

This line of inquiry comes amid what appears to be a significant shift in the Trump administration’s approach to the conflict—moving away from earlier threats of sanctions and promises of rapid resolution, toward a strategy marked by disengagement and a more transactional diplomatic tone.

President Trump has increasingly indicated a desire for the U.S. to withdraw from its leadership role in peace negotiations, a move that has unsettled some American allies.

Reports indicate that following a late-May phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials that the U.S. would cease its participation in new sanctions initiatives against Russia. This marked a sharp departure from earlier comments suggesting that only Trump and Putin could bring about a ceasefire.

Tensions between Trump and Zelensky have been publicly evident since their Oval Office meeting earlier this year, which reportedly became heated.

At Wednesday’s hearing, McConnell—an outspoken proponent of hawkish foreign policy—voiced Republican unease over Ukraine by pressing Hegseth to clarify the administration’s current stance. He asked Hegseth directly who the administration wanted to see prevail in the war.

Below is a transcript of the exchange:

MCCONNELL: “It probably won’t surprise you, but I’m going to start with Ukraine. And I’m gonna ask you a series of questions but I don’t want you to linger on any one of them but answer the series of questions in one answer. Number one, who’s the aggressor and who’s the victim in the conflict?”

HEGSETH: “Russia’s the aggressor.”

MCCONNELL: “Which side do you want to win?”

HEGSETH: “As we’ve said time and time again, this president is committed to peace in that conflict. Ultimately, peace serves our national interests, and we think the interests of both parties, even if that outcome will not be preferable to many in this room and many in our country.”

MCCONNELL: “Which side is President Xi pulling for?”

HEGSETH: “Well, as was stated by both of you, we obviously understand, unfortunately, under this administration and the policy, excuse me, 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 have 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.”

Recent polling from CNN shows that a large majority of Americans support President Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war.

In fact, significantly more Americans back Trump’s strategy than supported former President Biden’s approach to the same conflict.

“So I think the easiest way we can kind of just ask this is, do Americans like the way that Trump is handling his job, and compare it to how they felt about Joe Biden,” CNN data analyst Harry Enten said during a Monday broadcast.

“So this is the net approval rating. You look at Joe Biden back in 2024, he was 22 points underwater. Holy cow. You look at Donald Trump. It‘s just a different planet entirely. I mean, the gulf between these two is wider than the Gulf of America or Mexico, depending on which side of the aisle you stand on. He‘s at plus-two,” Enten continued.

“So, look, at this particular point, Americans are giving Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt. He‘s doing considerably better than Joe Biden was doing on the handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And so on this simple question, I think Americans are saying, ‘Okay, Donald Trump is doing all right on this,’” he said.