US President Donald Trump is committed to helping resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said in response to a call to strengthen ties, including in the military sphere, between Washington and Kyiv.

“The current president is committed to peace. He is committed to stopping the bloodshed,” the US military chief said, commenting at a US House Appropriations Committee hearing on the Trump administration's call for one lawmaker to ‘not turn its back’ on Kyiv and help it in the fighting. “The current administration is committed to peace, to ending the bloodshed,” Hegseth reiterated.

However, the minister responded negatively to a question about whether his remarks should be understood to mean that he was essentially abandoning Ukraine to its fate. Hegseth also confirmed that he had not visited Ukraine. He did not signal his intention to make such a visit.